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The  Amateur  Cracksman 

aj-cX.-aaoi-A--*A/*^.«^^Ci.  I. /Z^  fifths -U^ 
aSLi^y- 0^..ZIj  .4AtJ<.i0*'  J 


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THE  SHADOW  OF  THE  ROPE.    ?i.5o. 
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IRRALIE'S  BUSHRANGER.  A  Story 
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ft.  IT.     RAFFLES. 


The 
Amateur-  Cracksman 

By  E.  W.  Hornung 

^    3     ^<c<3J^.^J^J^^  —  /  2.). 


Charles  Scribner's  Sons 
New  York  1905 


Copyright,  1899,  by 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


TO 

A.  c.  a 

THIS  FORM  OF  FLATTERY 


CONTENTS 

Page 

The  Ides  of  March / 

A  Costume  Piece 43 

Gentlemen  and  Players 77 

Le  Premier  Pas ,    .  ij$ 

Wilful  Murder I47 

Nine  Points  of  the  Law 177 

The  Return  Match .2// 

The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 242 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRA  TIONS 


Raffles Frontispiece 

Facing 
i>age 

I  saw  them  from  my  own  window  .    .    .112 


Raffles  announced  his  intention  of  catch- 
the  5.2  to  Esher 190 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

THE  IDES  OF  MARCH 


1  T  was  about  half-past  twelve  when  I  re- 
turned  to  the  Albany  as  a  last  desper- 
ate resort.  The  scene  of  my  disaster  was 
much  as  I  had  left  it.  The  baccarat-count- 
ers still  strewed  the  table,  with  the  empty 
glasses  and  the  loaded  ash-trays.  A  win- 
dow had  been  opened  to  let  the  smoke  out, 
and  was  letting  in  the  fog  instead.  Raffles 
himself  had  merely  discarded  his  dining 
jacket  for  one  of  his  innumerable  blazers. 
Yet  he  arched  his  eyebrows  as  though  I  had 
dragged  him  from  his  bed. 

"  Forgotten  something?  "  said  he,  when 
he  saw  me  on  his  mat. 

"  No,"  said  I,  pushing  past  him  without 
I 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ceremony.  And  I  led  the  way  into  his  room 
with  an  impudence  amazing  to  myself. 

"  Not  come  back  for  your  revenge,  have 
you?  Because  I'm  afraid  I  can't  give  it  you 
single-handed.  I  was  sorry  myself  that  the 
others " 

We  were  face  to  face  by  his  fireside,  and 
I  cut  him  short. 

"  Raffles,"  said  I,  "  you  may  well  be  sur- 
prised at  my  coming  back  in  this  way  and 
at  this  hour.  I  hardly  know  you.  I  was 
never  in  your  rooms  before  to-night.  But 
I  fagged  for  you  at  school,  and  you  said 
you  remembered  me.  Of  course  that's  no 
excuse;  but  will  you  listen  to  me — for  two 
minutes?  " 

In  my  emotion  I  had  at  first  to  struggle 
for  every  word;  but  his  face  reassured  me 
as  I  went  on,  and  I  was  not  mistaken  in  its 
expression. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  man,"  said  he;  "  as 
many  minutes  as  you  like.  Have  a  Sulli- 
van and  sit  down."  And  he  handed  me  his 
silver  cigarette-case. 

"  No,"  said  I,  finding  a  full  voice  as  I 
shook  my  head;  "  no,  I  won't  smoke,  and  I 

2 


The  Ides  of  March 

won't  sit  down,  thank  you.  Nor  will  you 
ask  me  to  do  either  when  you've  heard  what 
I  have  to  say." 

"  Really? "  said  he,  lighting  his  own 
cigarette  with  one  clear  blue  eye  upon  me. 
"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  Because  you'll  probably  show  me  the 
door,"  I  cried  bitterly;  "  and  you'll  be  justi- 
fied in  doing  it!  But  it's  no  use  beating 
about  the  bush.  You  know  I  dropped  over 
two  hundred  just  now?  " 

He  nodded. 

"  I  hadn't  the  money  in  my  pocket." 

"  I  remember." 

"  But  I  had  my  cheque-book,  and  I  wTOte 
each  of  you  a  cheque  at  that  desk." 

"Well?" 

"  Not  one  of  them  was  worth  the  paper  it 
was  written  on,  Raffles.  I  am  overdrawn 
already  at  my  bank!  " 

"  Surely  only  for  the  moment?  " 

"  No.    I  have  spent  everything." 

"  But  somebody  told  me  you  were  so  well 
off.    I  heard  you  had  come  in  for  money?  " 

"  So  I  did.  Three  years  ago.  It  has  been 
my  curse;  now  it's  all  gone — every  penny! 
3 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

Yes,  IVe  been  a  fool;  there  never  was  nor 
will  be  such  a  fool  as  I've  been.  .  .  . 
Isn't  this  enough  for  you?  Why  don't  you 
turn  me  out?"  He  was  walking  up  and 
down  with  a  very  long  face  instead. 

"  Couldn't  your  people  do  anything?  "  he 
asked  at  length. 

"  Thank  God,"  I  cried,  "  I  have  no  peo- 
ple! I  was  an  only  child.  I  came  in  for 
everything  there  was.  My  one  comfort  is 
that  they're  gone,  and  will  never  know." 

I  cast  myself  into  a  chair  and  hid  my 
face.  RafHes  continued  to  pace  the  rich 
carpet  that  was  of  a  piece  with  everything 
else  in  his  rooms.  There  was  no  variation 
in  his  soft  and  even  footfalls. 

"  You  used  to  be  a  literary  little  cuss,"  he 
said  at  length;  "didn't  you  edit  the  mag. 
before  you  left?  Anyway  I  recollect  fag- 
ging you  to  do  my  verses;  and  literature  of 
all  sorts  is  the  very  thing  nowadays;  any 
fool  can  make  a  living  at  it." 

I  shook  my  head.  "Any  fool  couldn't 
write  off  my  debts,"  said  I. 

"  Then  you  have  a  fiat  somewhere?  "  he 
went  on. 

4 


The  Idts  of  March 

"  Yes,  in  Mount  Street." 
"  Well,  what  about  the  furniture?  " 
I  laughed  aloud  in  my  misery.   "  There's 
been    a    bill    of    sale    on    every    stick    for 
months!  " 

And  at  that  Raffles  stood  still,  with  raised 
eyebrows  and  stern  eyes  that  I  could  meet 
the  better  now  that  he  knew  the  worst; 
then,  with  a  shrug,  he  resumed  his  walk, 
and  for  some  minutes  neither  of  us  spoke. 
But  in  his  handsome  unmoved  face  I  read 
my  fate  and  death-warrant;  and  with  every 
breath  I  cursed  my  folly  and  my  cowardice 
in  coming  to  him  at  all.  Because  he  had 
been  kind  to  me  at  school,  when  he  was 
captain  of  the  eleven,  and  I  his  fag,  I  had 
dared  to  look  for  kindness  from  him  now; 
because  I  was  ruined,  and  he  rich  enough 
to  play  cricket  all  the  summer,  and  do 
nothing  for  the  rest  of  the  year,  I  had  fatu- 
ously counted  on  his  mercy,  his  sympathy, 
his  help !  Yes,  I  had  relied  on  him  in  my 
heart,  for  all  my  outward  diflfidence  and  hu- 
mility; and  I  was  rightly  served.  There  was 
as  little  of  mercy  as  of  sympathy  in 
that  curling  nostril,  that  rigid  jaw,  that  cold 
5 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

blue  eye  which  never  glanced  my  way.  I 
caught  up  my  hat.  I  blundered  to  my  feet. 
I  would  have  gone  without  a  word;  but 
Raffles  stood  between  me  .and  the  door. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  said  he. 

"  That's  my  business,"  I  replied.  "  I 
won't  trouble  you  any  more." 

"  Then  how  am  I  to  help  you?  " 

"  I  didn't  ask  your  help." 

"  Then  why  come  to  me?  " 

"Why,  indeed!"  I  echoed.  "Will  you 
let  me  pass?  " 

"  Not  until  you  tell  me  where  you  are 
going  and  what  you  mean  to  do." 

"Can't  you  guess?"  I  cried.  And  for 
many  seconds  we  stood  staring  in  each 
other's  eyes. 

"Have  you  got  the  pluck?"  said  he, 
breaking  the  spell  in  a  tone  so  cynical  that 
it  brought  my  last  drop  of  blood  to  the  boil. 

"  You  shall  see,"  said  I,  as  I  stepped 
back  and  whipped  the  pistol  from  my  over- 
coat pocket.  "  Now,  will  you  let  me  pass 
or  shall  I  do  it  here?  " 

The  barrel  touched  my  temple,  and  my 
thumb  the  trigger.  Mad  with  excitement  as 
6 


The  Ides  of  March 

I  was,  ruined,  dishonoured,  and  now  finally 
determined  to  make  an  end  of  my  mis- 
spent life,  my  only  surprise  to  this  day  is 
that  I  did  not  do  so  then  and  there.  Thf 
despicable  satisfaction  of  involving  anothei 
in  one's  destruction  added  its  miserable  ap- 
peal to  my  baser  egoism;  and  had  fear  or 
horror  flown  to  my  companion's  face,  I 
shudder  to  think  I  might  have  died  dia- 
bolically happy  with  that  look  for  my  last 
impious  consolation.  It  was  the  look  that 
came  instead  which  held  my  hand.  Neither 
fear  nor  horror  were  in  it;  only  wonder,  ad- 
miration, and  such  a  measure  of  pleased 
expectancy  as  caused  me  after  all  to  pocket 
my  revolver  with  an  oath. 

"You  devil!"  I  said.     "I  believe  you 
wanted  me  to  do  it!  " 

"  Not  quite,"  was  the  reply,  made  with  a 
little  start,  and  a  change  of  colour  that  came 
too  late.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  though, 
I  half  thought  you  meant  it,  and  1  was  never 
more  fascinated  in  my  life.  I  never  dreamt 
you  had  such  stuflf  in  you.  Bunny!  No,  I'm 
hanged  if  I  let  you  go  now.  And  you'd 
better  not  try  that  game  again,  for  you 
7 


■The  Amateur  Cracksman 

won't  catch  me  stand  and  look  on  a  second 
time.  We  must  think  of  some  way  out  of 
the  mess.  I  had  no  idea  you  were  a  chap 
of  that  sort!    There,  let  me  have  the  gun." 

One  of  his  hands  fell  kindly  on  my 
shoulder,  while  the  other  slipped  into  my 
overcoat  pocket,  and  I  suffered  him  to  de- 
prive me  of  my  weapon  without  a  murmur. 
Nor  was  this  simply  because  Rafifles  had 
the  subtle  power  of  making  himself  irre- 
sistible at  will.  He  was  beyond  comparison 
the  most  masterful  man  whom  I  have  ever 
known;  yet  my  acquiescence  was  du-e  to 
more  than  the  mere  subjection  of  the  weaker 
nature  to  the  stronger.  The  forlorn  hope 
which  had  brought  me  to  the  Albany  was 
turned  as  by  magic  into  an  almost  stagger- 
ing sense  of  safety.  Raffles  would  help  me 
after  all !  A.  J.  Raffles  would  be  my  friend ! 
It  was  as  though  all  the  world  had  come 
round  suddenly  to  my  side;  so  far  therefore 
from  resisting  his  action,  I  caught  and 
clasped  his  hand  with  a  fervour  as  uncon- 
trollable as  the  frenzy  which  had  pre- 
ceded it. 

"  God  bless  you!  "  I  cried.  "  Forgive  me 
8 


The  Ides  of  March 

for  everything.  I  will  tell  you  the  truth.  I 
did  think  you  might  help  me  in  my  extrem- 
ity, though  I  well  knew  that  I  had  no  claim 
upon  you.  Still — for  the  old  school's  sake 
—the  sake  of  old  times — I  thought  you 
might  give  me  another  chance.  If  you 
wouldn't  I  meant  to  blow  out  my  brains— 
and  will  still  if  you  change  your  mind!  " 

In  truth  I  feared  that  it  was  changing, 
with  his  expression,  even  as  I  spoke,  and 
in  spite  of  his  kindly  tone  and  kindlier  use 
of  my  old  school  nickname.  His  next  words 
showed  me  my  mistake. 

"  What  a  boy  it  is  for  jumping  to  conclu- 
sions! I  have  my  vices,  Bunny,  but  back- 
ing and  fiJling  is  not  one  of  them.  Sit 
down,  my  good  fellow,  and  have  a  cigarette 
to  soothe  your  nerves.  I  insist.  Whisky  ? 
The  worst  thing  for  you;  here's  some  coffee 
that  I  was  brewing  when  you  came  in.  Now 
listen  to  me.  You  speak  of '  another  chance.' 
What  do  you  mean?  Another  chance  at 
baccarat?  Not  if  I  know  it !  You  think  the 
luck  must  turn;  suppose  it  didn't?  We 
should  only  have  made  bad  worse.  No, 
my  dear  chap,  you've  plunged  enough.  Do 
9 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

you  put  yourself  in  my  hands  or  do  you 
not?  Very  well,  then  you  plunge  no  more, 
and  I  undertake  not  to  present  my  cheque. 
Unfortunately  there  are  the  other  men;  and 
still  more  unfortunately,  Bunny,  I'm  as  hard 
up  at  this  moment  as  you  are  yourself !  " 

It  was  my  turn  to  stare  at  Raffles. 
"You?"  I  vociferated.  "You  hard  up? 
How  am  I  to  sit  here  and  believe  that?  " 

"  Did  I  refuse  to  believe  it  of  you?  "  he 
returned,  smiling.  "  And,  with  3'our  own 
experience,  do  you  think  that  because  a  fel- 
low has  rooms  in  this  place,  and  belongs  to 
a  club  or  two,  and  plays  a  little  cricket,  he 
must  necessarily  have  a  balance  at  the 
bank?  I  tell  you,  my  dear  man,  that  at  this 
moment  I'm  as  hard  up  as  you  ever  were. 
I  have  nothing  but  my  wits  to  live  on — 
absolutely  nothing  else.  It  was  as  neces- 
sary for  me  to  win  some  money  this  even- 
ing as  it  was  for  you.  We're  in  the  same 
boat,  Bunny;  we'd  better  pull  together." 

"Together!"    I  jumped  at  it.     "I'll  do 

anything  in  this  world  for  you.  Raffles," 

I  said,  "  if  you  really  mean  that  you  won't 

give  me  away.    Think  of  anything  you  like, 

10 


The  Ides  of  March 

and  I'll  do  it!  I  was  a  desperate  man  when 
I  came  here,  and  I'm  just  as  desperate  now. 
I  don't  mind  what  I  do  if  only  I  can  get  out 
of  this  without  a  scandal." 

Again  I  see  him,  leaning  back  in  one  of 
the  luxurious  chairs  with  which  his  room 
was  furnished.  I  see  his  indolent,  athletic 
figure;  his  pale,  sharp,  clean-shaven  feat- 
ures ;  his  curly  black  hair ;  his  strong,  un- 
scrupulous mouth.  And  again  I  feel  the 
clear  beam  of  his  wonderful  eye,  cold  and 
luminous  as  a  star,  shining  into  my  brain 
— sifting  the  very  secrets  of  my  heart. 

'*  I  wonder  if  you  mean  all  that!  "  he  said 
at  length.  "  You  do  in  your  present  mood ; 
but  who  can  back  his  mood  to  last?  Still, 
there's  hope  when  a  chap  takes  that  tone. 
Now  I  think  of  it,  too,  you  were  a  plucky 
little  devil  at  school ;  you  once  did  me  rather 
a  good  turn,  I  recollect.  Remember  it, 
Bunny?  Well,  wait  a  bit,  and  perhaps  I'll 
be  able  to  do  you  a  better  one.  Give  me 
time  to  think." 

He  got  up,  lit  a  fresh  cigarette,  and  fell 
to  pacing  the  room  once  more,  but  with  a 
slower  and  more  thoughtful  step,  and  for 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

a  much  longer  period  than  before.  Twice 
he  stopped  at  my  chair  as  though  on  the 
point  of  speaking,  but  each  time  he  checked 
himself  and  resumed  his  stride  in  silence. 
Once  he  threw  up  the  window,  which  he 
had  shut  some  time  since,  and  stood  for 
some  moments  leaning  out  into  the  fog 
which  filled  the  Albany  courtyard.  Mean- 
while a  clock  on  the  chimney-piece  struck 
one,  and  one  again  for  the  half-hour,  with- 
out a  word  between  us. 

Yet  I  not  only  kept  my  chair  with  patience, 
but  I  acquired  an  incongruous  equanimity 
in  that  half-hour.  Insensibly  I  had  shifted 
my  burden  to  the  broad  shoulders  of  this 
splendid  friend,  and  my  thoughts  wandered 
with  my  eyes  as  the  minutes  passed.  The 
room  was  the  good-sized,  square  one,  with 
the  folding  doors,  the  marble  mantel-piece, 
and  the  gloomy,  old-fashioned  distinction 
peculiar  to  the  Albany.  It  was  charmingly 
furnished  and  arranged,  wnth  the  right 
amount  of  negligence  and  the  right  amount 
of  taste.  What  struck  me  most,  however, 
was  the  absence  of  the  usual  insignia  of  a 
cricketer's  den.    Instead  of  the  conventional 


The  Ides  of  March 

rack  of  war-worn  bats,  a  carved  oak  book- 
case, with  every  shelf  in  a  Htter,  filled  the 
better  part  of  one  wall;  and  where  I  looked 
for  cricketing  groups,  I  found  reproduc- 
tions of  such  works  as  "  Love  and  Death  " 
and  "  The  Blessed  Damozel,"  in  dusty 
frames  and  different  parallels.  The  man 
might  have  been  a  minor  poet  instead  of  an 
athlete  of  the  first  water.  But  there  had 
always  been  a  fine  streak  of  aestheticism  in 
his  complex  composition;  some  of  these 
very  pictures  I  had  myself  dusted  in  his 
study  at  school;  and  they  set  me  thinking 
of  yet  another  of  his  many  sides — and  of 
the  little  incident  to  which  he  had  just  re- 
ferred. 

Everybody  knows  how  largely  the  tone 
of  a  public  school  depends  on  that  of  the 
eleven,  and  on  the  character  of  the  captain 
of  cricket  in  particular;  and  I  have  never 
heard  it  denied  that  in  A.  J.  Raffles's  time 
our  tone  was  good,  or  that  such  influence 
as  he  troubled  to  exert  was  on  the  side  of 
the  angels.  Yet  it  was  whispered  in  the 
school  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  parading 
the  town  at  night  in  loud  checks  and  a  false 
beard.  It  was  whispered,  and  disbelieved. 
13 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  alone  knew  it  for  a  fact;  for  night  after 
night  had  I  pulled  the  rope  up  after  him 
when  the  rest  of  the  dormitory  were  asleep, 
and  kept  awake  by  the  hour  to  let  it  down 
again  on  a  given  signal.  Well,  one  night  he 
was  over-bold,  and  within  an  ace  of  igno- 
minious expulsion  in  the  hey-day  of  his 
fame.  Consummate  daring  and  extraordi- 
nary nerve  on  his  part,  aided,  doubtless,  by 
some  little  presence  of  mind  on  mine, 
averted  that  untoward  result;  and  no  more 
need  be  said  of  a  discreditable  incident.  But 
I  cannot  pretend  to  have  forgotten  it  in 
throwing  myself  on  this  man's  mercy  in 
my  desperation.  And  I  was  wbndering 
how  much  of  his  leniency  was  owing  to  the 
fact  that  Raffles  had  not  forgotten  it  either, 
when  he  stopped  and  stood  over  my  chair 
once  more. 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  that  night  we  had 
the  narrow  squeak,"  he  began.  "  Why  do 
you  start?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  it  too." 

He  smiled,  as  though  he  had  read  my 
thoughts, 

"  Well,  you  were  the  rie;ht  sort  of  little 
14 


The  Ides  of  March 

beggar  then,  Bunny;  you  didn't  talk  and 
you  didn't  flinch.  You  asked  no  questions 
and  you  told  no  tales.  I  wonder  if  you're 
like  that  now?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  I,  slightly  puzzled 
by  his  tone.  "  I've  made  such  a  mess  of 
my  own  affairs  that  I  trust  myself  about 
as  little  as  I'm  likely  to  be  trusted  by  any- 
body else.  Yet  I  never  in  my  life  went 
back  on  a  friend.  I  will  say  that;  other- 
wise perhaps  I  mightn't  be  in  such  a  hole 
to-night." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Raffles,  nodding  to  him- 
self, as  though  in  a: sent  to  some  hidden 
train  of  thought ;  "  exactly  what  I  remem- 
ber of  you,  and  I'll  bet  it's  as  true  now  as 
it  was  ten  years  ago.  We  don't  alter.  Bunny. 
We  only  develop.  I  suppose  neither  you 
nor  I  are  really  altered  since  you  used  to 
let  down  that  rope  and  I  used  to  come  up 
it  hand  over  hand.  You  would  stick  at 
nothing  for  a  pal — what?  " 

"  At  nothing  in  this  world,"  I  was  pleased 
to  cry. 

"Not  even  at  a  crime?"  said  Rafifles, 
smiling. 

15 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  stopped  to  think,  for  his  tone  had 
changed,  and  I  felt  sure  he  was  chafifing 
me.  Yet  his  eye  seemed  as  much  in  earnest 
as  ever,  and  for  my  part  I  was  in  no  mood 
for  reservations. 

"  No,  not  even  at  that,"  I  declared; 
"  name  your  crime,  and  I'm  your  man." 

He  looked  at  me  one  moment  in  won- 
der, and  another  moment  in  doubt;  then 
turned  the  matter  off  with  a  shake  of  his 
head,  and  the  little  cynical  laugh  that  v/as 
all  his  own. 

"  You're  a  nice  chap.  Bunny!  A  real 
desperate  character — what?  Suicide  one 
moment,  and  any  crime  I  like  the  next! 
What  you  want  is  a  drag,  my  boy,  and  you 
did  well  to  come  to  a  decent  law-abiding 
citizen  with  a  reputation  to  lose.  None 
the  less  we  must  have  that  money  to-night 
— by  hook  or  crook." 

"To-night,  Raffles?" 

"The  sooner  the  better.  Every  hour 
after  ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  is  an 
hour  of  risk.  Let  one  of  those  cheques  get 
round  to  your  own  bank,  and  you  and  it 
are  dishonoured  together.  No,  we  must 
i6 


The  Ides  of  March 

raise  the  wind  to-night  and  reopen  your  ac- 
count first  thing  to-morrow.  And  I  rather 
think  I  know  where  the  wind  can  be  raised." 

"  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning?  " 

*'  Yes." 

"  But  how — but  where — at  such  an 
hour? " 

''  From  a  friend  of  mine  here  in  Bond 
Street." 

"  He  must  be  a  very  intimate  friend!  " 

"  Intimate's  not  the  word.  I  have  the  run 
of  his  'place  and  a  latch-key  all  to  myself." 

"  You  would  knock  him  up  at  this  hour 
of  the  night?" 

"  If  he's  in  bed." 

"  And  it's  essential  that  I  should  go  in 
with  you?  " 

"  AbsohUely." 

"Then  I  must;  but  I'm  bound  to  say  I 
don't  like  the  idea,  Raffles." 

"  Do  you  prefer  the  alternative?  "  asked 
my  companion,  with  a  sneer.  "  No,  hang 
it,  that's  unfair! "  he  cried  apologetically  in 
the  same  breath.  "  I  quite  understand.  It's 
a  ])eastly  ordeal.  But  it  would  never  do 
for  you  to  stay  outside.  I  tell  you  what, 
17 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

you  shall  have  a  peg  before  we  start — ^just 
one.  There's  the  whisky,  here's  a  syphon, 
and  I'll  be  putting  on  an  overcoat  while 
you  help  yourself." 

Well,  I  daresay  I  did  so  with  some  free- 
dom, for  this  plan  of  his  was  not  the  less 
distasteful  to  me  from  its  apparent  inevi- 
tability. I  must  own,  however,  that  it  pos- 
sessed fewer  terrors  before  my  glass  was 
empty.  Meanwhile  Rafifles  rejoined  me, 
with  a  covert  coat  over  his  blazer,  and  a 
soft  felt  hat  set  carelessly  on  the  curly  head 
he  shook  with  a  smile  as  I  passed  him  the 
decanter. 

"  When  we  come  back,"  said  he.  "  Work 
first,  play  afterward.  Do  you  see  what  day 
it  is?  "  he  added,  tearing  a  leaflet  from  a 
Shakespearian  calendar,  as  I  drained  my 
glass.  "  March  15th.  '  The  Ides  of  March, 
the  Ides  of  March,  remember.'  Eh,  Bunny, 
my  boy?  You  won't  forget  them,  will  you?  " 

And,  with  a  laugh,  he  threw  some  coals 
on  the  fire  before  turning  down  the  gas 
like  a  careful  householder.  So  we  went  out 
together  as  the  clock  on  the  chimney-piece 
was  striking  two. 

18 


The  Ides  of  March 


II 


Piccadilly  was  a  trench  of  raw  white  fog, 
rimmed  with  blurred  street-lamps,  and  lined 
with  a  thin  coating  of  adhesive  mud.  We 
met  no  other  wayfarers  on  the  deserted  flag- 
stones, and  were  ourselves  favoured  with 
a  very  hard  stare  from  the  constable  of  the 
beat,  who,  however,  touched  his  helmet  on 
recognising  my  companion. 

"  You  see,  I'm  known  to  the  police," 
laughed  Raffles  as  we  passed  on.  "  Poor 
devils,  they've  got  to  keep  their  weather  eye 
open  on  a  night  like  this!  A  fog  may  be  a 
bore  to  you  and  me,  Bunny,  but  it's  a  per- 
fect godsend  to  the  criminal  classes,  espe- 
cially so  late  in  their  season.    Here  we  are, 

,  though — and  Pm  hanged  if  the  beggar  isn't 

;  in  bed  and  asleep  after  all !  " 

We  had  turned  into  Bond  Street,  and  had 
halted  on  the  curb  a  few  yards  down  on  the 
right.  Raffles  was  gazing  up  at  some  win- 
dows across  the  road,  windows  barely  dis- 
cernible through  the  mist,  and  without  the 
glimmer  of  a  light  to  throw  them  out.  They 
19 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

were  over  a  jeweller's  shop,  as  I  could  see 
by  the  peep-hole  in  the  shop  door,  and  the 
bright  light  burning  within.  But  the  en- 
tire "  upper  part,"  with  the  private  street- 
door  next  the  shop,  was  black  and  blank  as 
the  sky  itself. 

"  Better  give  it  up  for  to-night,"  I  urged. 
"  Surely  the  morning  will  be  time  enough!  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Raffles.  "  I  have 
his  key.    We'll  surprise  him.    Come  along." 

And  seizing  my  right  arm,  he  hurried 
me  across  the  road,  opened  the  door  with 
his  latch-key,  and  in  another  moment  had 
shut  it  swiftly  but  softly  behind  us.  We 
stood  together  in  the  dark.  Outside,  a  meas- 
ured step  was  approaching;  we  had  heard 
it  through  the  fog  as  we  crossed  the  street; 
now,  as  it  drew  nearer,  my  companion's 
fingers  tightened  on  my  arm. 

*'  It  may  be  the  chap  himself,"  he  w^iis- 
pered.  "  He's  the  devil  of  a  night-bird.  Not 
a  sound,  Bunny!  We'll  startle  the  life  out 
of  him.    Ah!"' 

The  measured  step  had  passed  without 
a  pause.    Raffles  drew  a  deep  breath,  and 
his  singular  grip  of  me  slowly  relaxed. 
20 


The  Ides  of  March 

"  But  still,  not  a  sound,"  he  continued  in 
the  same  whisper;  "  we'll  take  a  rise  out  of 
him,  wherever  he  is!  Slip  off  your  shoes 
and  follow  me." 

Well,  you  may  wonder  at  my  doing  so; 
but  you  can  never  have  met  A.  J.  Raffles, 
Half  his  power  lay  in  a  conciliating  trick 
of  sinking  the  commander  in  the  leader. 
And  it  was  impossible  not  to  follow  one 
who  led  with  such  a  zest.  You  might  ques- 
tion, but  you  followed  first.  So  now,  when 
I  heard  him  kick  off  his  own  shoes,  I  did 
the  same,  and  was  on  the  stairs  at  his  heels 
before  I  realised  what  an  extraordinary  way 
was  this  of  approaching  a  stranger  for 
money  in  the  dead  of  night.  But  obviously 
Raffles  and  he  were  on  exceptional  terms  of 
intimacy,  and  I  could  not  but  infer  that  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  playing  practical  jokes 
upon  each  other. 

We  groped  our  way  so  slowly  upstairs 
that  I  had  time  to  make  more  than  one  note 
before  we  reached  the  top.  The  stair  was 
uncarpeted.  The  spread  fingers  of  my  right 
hand  encountered  nothing  on  the  damp 
wall;  those  of  my  left  trailed  through  a  dust 

21 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

Shat  could  be  felt  on  the  banisters.  An  eerie 
sensation  had  been  upon  me  since  we  en- 
tered the  house.  It  increased  with  every 
step  we  climbed.  What  hermit  were  we 
going  to  startle  in  his  cell? 

We  came  to  a  landing.  The  banisters 
led  us  to  the  left,  and  to  the  left  again.  Four 
steps  more,  and  we  were  on  another  and 
a  longer  landing,  and  suddenly  a  match 
blazed  from  the  black.  I  never  heard  it 
struck.  Its  flash  was  blinding.  When  my 
eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  light,  there 
w-as  Raffles  holding  up  the  match  with  one 
hand,  and  shading  it  with  the  other,  be- 
tween bare  boards,  stripped  walls,  and  the 
open  doors  of  empty  rooms. 

"  Where  have  you  brought  me?  "  I  cried 
"  The  house  is  unoccupied!  " 

"Hush!  Wait!"  he  whispered,  and  he 
led  the  way  into  one  of  the  empty  rooms. 
His  match  went  out  as  we  crossed  the  thres- 
hold, and  he  struck  another  without  the 
slightest  noise.  Then  he  stood  with  his 
back  to  me,  fumbling  with  something  that 
I  could  not  see.  But,  when  he  threw  the 
second  match  away,  there  was  some  other 

22 


The  Ides  of  Marcfi 

light  in  its  stead,  and  a  slight  smell  of  oil. 
I  stepped  forward  to  look  over  his  shoulder, 
but  before  I  could  do  so  he  had  turned  and 
flashed  a  tiny  lantern  in  my  face. 

"  What's  this?  "  I  gasped.  "  What  rotten 
trick  are  you  going  to  play?  " 

"  It's  played,"  he  answered,  with  his  quiet 
laugh. 

"  On  me?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  so.  Bunny." 

"  Is  there  no  one  in  the  house,  then?  ** 

*'  No  one  but  ourselves." 

"  So  it  was  mere  chaff  about  your  friend 
in  Bond  Street,  who  could  let  us  have  that 
money?" 

"  Not  altogether.  It's  quite  true  that 
Danby  is  a  friend  of  mine." 

"Danby?" 

"  The  jeweller  underneath." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  I  whispered, 
trembling  like  a  leaf  as  his  meaning  dawned 
upon  me.  "  Are  we  to  get  the  money  from 
the  jeweller?  " 

"  Well,  not  exactly." 

•'  What  then?  " 

"  The  equivalent — from  his  shop." 
23 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

There  was  no  need  for  another  question. 
I  understood  everything  but  my  own  den- 
sity. He  had  given  me  a  dozen  hints,  and 
I  had  taken  none.  And  there  I  stood  star- 
ing at  him,  in  that  empty  room;  and  there 
he  stood  with  his  dark  lantern,  laughing 
at  me. 

"  A  burglar!  "  I  gasped.    "  You — you!  " 

"  I  told  you  I  lived  by  my  wits." 

"  Why  couldn't  you  tell   me  what  you 

were  going  to  do?    Why  couldn't  you  trust 

me?     Why  must  you  lie?"   I  demanded, 

piqued  to  the  quick  for  all  my  horror. 

**  I  wanted  to  tell  you,"  said  he.  "  I  was 
on  the  point  of  telling  you  more  than  once. 
You  may  remember  how  I  sounded  you 
about  crime,  though  you  have  probably  for- 
gotten what  you  said  yourself.  I  didn't  think 
you  meant  it  at  the  time,  but  I  thought  I'd 
put  you  to  the  test.  Now  I  see  you  didn't, 
and  I  don't  blame  you.  I  only  am  to  blame. 
Get  out  of  it,  my  dear  boy,  as  quick  as  you 
can;  leave  it  to  me.  You  won't  give  me 
away,  whatever  else  you  do!  " 

Oh,  his  cleverness!    His  fiendish  clever- 
ness!    Had  he  fallen  back  on  threats,  co- 
24 


The  Ides  of  March 

ercion,  sneers,  all  might  have  been  different 
even  yet.  But  he  set  me  free  to  leave  him 
in  the  lurch.  He  would  not  blame  me.  He 
did  not  even  bind  me  to  secrecy ;  he  trusted 
me.  He  knew  my  weakness  and  my 
strength,  and  was  playing  on  both  with  his 
master's  touch. 

"  Not  so  fast,"  said  I.  "  Did  I  put  this 
into  your  head,  or  were  you  going  to  do  it 
in  any  case?  " 

"  Not  in  any  case,"  said  Raffles.  "  It's 
true  I've  had  the  key  for  days,  but  when  I 
won  to-night  I  thought  of  chucking  it ;  for, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  it's  not  a  one-man  job." 

"  That  settles  it.    I'm  your  man." 

"  You  mean  it?  " 

"  Yes— for  to-night." 

"  Good  old  Bunny,"  he  murm.ured,  hold- 
ing the  lantern  for  one  moment  to  my  face; 
the  next  he  was  explaining  his  plans,  and 
I  was  nodding,  as  though  we  had  been  fel- 
low-cracksmen all  our  days. 

"  I  know  the  shop,"  he  whispered,  "  be- 
cause I've  got  a  few  things  there.  I  know 
this  upper  part  too;  it's  been  to  let  for  a 
month,  and  I  got  an  order  to  view,  and  took 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

a  cast  of  the  key  before  using  it.  The  one 
thing  I  don't  know  is  how  to  make  a  con- 
nection between  the  two;  at  present  there's 
none.  We  may  make  it  up  here,  though  I 
rather  fancy  the  basement  myself.  If  you 
wait  a  minute  I'll  tell  you." 

He  set  his  lantern  on  the  floor,  crept  to 
a  back  window,  and  opened  it  with  scarcely 
a  sound:  only  to  return,  shaking  his  head, 
after  shutting  the  window  with  the  same 
care. 

"  That  was  our  one  chance,"  said  he :  ''  a 
back  window  above  a  back  window;  but 
it's  too  dark  to  see  anything,  and  we  daren't 
show  an  outside  light.  Come  down  after 
me  to  the  basement ;  and  remember,  though 
there's  not  a  soul  on  the  premises,  you  can't 
make  too  little  noise.  There — there — listen 
to  that!  " 

It  was  the  measured  tread  that  we  had 
heard  before  on  the  f^ag-stones  outside. 
Rafifles  darkened  his  lantern,  and  again  we 
stood  motionless  till  it  had  passed. 

"  Either  a  policeman,"  he  muttered,  "  or 
a  watchman  that  all  these  jewellers  run  be- 
tween them.  The  watchman's  the  man  for 
26 


The  Ides  of  March 

us  to  watch;  he's  simply  paid  to  spot  this 
kind  of  thing." 

We  crept  very  gingerly  down  the  stairs, 
which  creaked  a  bit  in  spite  of  us,  and  we 
picked  up  our  shoes  in  the  passage;  then 
down  some  narrow  stone  steps,  at  the  foot 
of  which  Raffles  showed  his  light,  and  put 
on  his  shoes  once  more,  bidding  me  do  the 
same  in  a  rather  louder  tone  than  he  had 
permitted  himself  to  employ  overhead.  We 
were  now  considerably  below  the  level  of 
the  street,  in  a  small  space  with  as  many 
doors  as  it  had  sides.  Three  were  ajar,  and 
we  saw  through  them  into  empty  cellars; 
but  in  the  fourth  a  key  was  turned  and  a 
bolt  drawn;  and  this  one  presently  let  us 
out  into  the  bottom  of  a  deep,  square  well 
of  fog.  A  similar  door  faced  it  across  this 
area,  and  Raffles  had  the  lantern  close 
against  it,  and  was  hiding  the  light  with 
his  body,  when  a  short  and  sudden  crash 
made  my  heart  stand  still.  Next  moment 
I  saw  the  door  wide  open,  and  Raffles  stand- 
ing within  and  beckoning  me  with  a  jemmy. 

"  Door  number  one,"  he  whispered. 
"  Deuce  knows  how  many  more  there'll  be, 
27 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

but  I  know  of  two  at  least.  We  won't  have 
to  make  much  noise  over  them,  either; 
down  here  there's  less  risk." 

We  were  now  at  the  bottom  of  the  exact 
fellow  to  the  narrow  stone  stair  which  we 
had  just  descended:  the  yard,  or  well,  being 
the  one  part  common  to  both  the  private 
and  the  business  premises.  But  this  flight 
led  to  no  open  passage;  instead,  a  singularly 
solid  mahogany  door  confronted  us  at  the 
top. 

"  I  thought  so,"  muttered  Raffles,  hand- 
ing me  the  lantern,  and  pocketing  a  bunch 
of  skeleton  keys,  after  tampering  for  a  few 
minutes  with  the  lock.  "  It'll  be  an  hour's 
work  to  get  through  that !  " 

"  Can't  you  pick  it?  " 

"  No.  I  know  these  locks.  It's  no  use 
trying.  We  must  cut  it  out,  and  it'll  take 
us  an  hour." 

It  took  us  forty-seven  minutes  by  my 
watch;  or,  rather,  it  took  Raffles;  and  never 
in  my  life  have  I  seen  anything  more  de- 
liberately done.  My  part  was  simply  to 
stand  by  with  the  dark  lantern  in  one  hand, 
and  a  small  bottle  of  rock-oil  in  the  other. 
28 


The  Ides  of  March 

Raffles  had  produced  a  pretty  embroidered 
case,  intended  obviously  for  his  razors,  but 
filled  instead  with  the  tools  of  his  secret 
trade,  including  the  rock-oil.  From  this 
case  he  selected  a  "  bit,"  capable  of  drilling 
a  hole  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  fitted  it  to  a 
small  but  very  strong  steel  "  brace."  Then 
he  took  off  his  covert-coat  and  his  blazer, 
spread  them  neatly  on  the  top  step — knelt 
on  them — turned  up  his  shirt-cuffs — and 
went  to  work  with  brace-and-bit  near  the 
key-hole.  But  first  he  oiled  the  bit  to  mini- 
mise the  noise,  and  this  he  did  invariably 
before  beginning  a  fresh  hole,  and  often 
in  the  middle  of  one.  It  took  thirty-two 
separate  borings  to  cut  round  that  lock. 

I  noticed  that  through  the  first  circular 
orifice  Raffles  thrust  a  forefinger;  then,  as 
the  circle  became  an  ever-lengthening  oval, 
he  got  his  hand  through  up  to  the  thumb; 
and  I  heard  him  swear  softly  to  himself. 

"  I  was  afraid  so!  " 

"What  is  it?" 

"  An  iron  gate  on  the  other  side! " 

"  How  on  earth  are  we  to  get  through 
that?"  I  asked  in  dismay. 

2Q 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Pick  the  lock.  But  there  may  be  two. 
In  that  case  they'll  be  top  and  bottom,  and 
we  shall  have  two  fresh  holes  to  make,  as 
the  door  opens  inwards.  It  won't  open  two 
inches  as  it  is." 

I  confess  I  did  not  feel  sanguine  about 
the  lock-picking,  seeing  that  one  lock  had 
baffled  us  already;  and  my  disappointment 
and  impatience  must  have  been  a  revelation 
to  me  had  I  stopped  to  think.  The  truth 
is  that  I  was  entering  into  our  nefarious 
undertaking  with  an  involuntary  zeal  of 
which  I  was  myself  quite  unconscious  at  the 
time.  The  romance  and  the  peril  of  the 
whole  proceeding  held  me  spellbound  and 
entranced.  My  moral  sense  and  my  sense 
of  fear  were  stricken  by  a  common  paraly- 
sis. And  there  I  stood,  shining  my  light 
and  holding  my  phial  with  a  keener  interest 
than  I  had  ever  brought  to  any  honest 
avocation.  And  there  knelt  A.  J.  Raffles,, 
with  his  black  hair  tumbled,  and  the  same 
watchful,  quiet,  determined  half-smile  with 
which  I  have  seen  him  send  down  over 
after  over  in  a  county  match! 

At  last  the  chain  of  holes  was  complete, 


The  Ides  of  March 

the  lock  wrenched  out  bodily,  and  a  splen- 
did bare  arm  plunged  up  to  the  shoulder 
through  the  aperture,  and  through  the  bars 
of  the  iron  gate  beyond. 

"  Now,"  whispered  Raffles,  "  if  there's 
only  one  lock  it'll  be  in  the  middle.  Joy! 
Here  it  is!  Only  let  me  pick  it,  and  we're 
through  at  last." 

He  withdrew  his  arm,  a  skeleton  key  was 
selected  from  the  bunch,  and  then  back 
went  his  arm  to  the  shoulder.  It  was  a 
breathless  moment.  I  heard  the  heart  throb- 
bing in  my  body,  the  very  watch  ticking  in 
my  pocket,  and  ever  and  anon  the  tinkle- 
tinkle  of  the  skeleton  key.  Then — at  last 
— there  came  a  single  unmistakable  click. 
In  another  minute  the  mahogany  door  and 
the  iron  gate  yawned  behind  us ;  and  Raffles 
was  sitting  on  an  office  table,  wiping  his 
face,  with  the  lantern  throwing  a  steady 
beam  by  his  side. 

We  were  now  in  a  bare  and  roomy  lobby 
behind  the  shop,  but  separated  therefrom 
by  an  iron  curtain,  the  very  sight  of  which 
filled  me  with  despair.  Raffles,  however, 
did  not  appear  in  the  least  depressed,  but 
31 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

hung  up  his  coat  and  hat  on  some  pegs  in 
the  lobby  before  examining  this  curtain 
with  his  lantern. 

"  That's  nothing,"  said  he,  after  a  min- 
ute's inspection;  "we'll  be  through  that  in 
no  time,  but  there's  a  door  on  the  other 
side  which  may  give  us  trouble." 

"  Another  door!  "  I  groaned.  "  And  how 
do  you  mean  to  tackle  this  thing?  " 

"  Prise  it  up  with  the  jointed  jemmy. 
The  weak  point  of  these  iron  curtains  is 
the  leverage  you  can  get  from  below.  But 
it  makes  a  noise,  and  this  is  where  you're 
coming  in,  Bunny ;  this  is  where  I  couldn't 
do  without  you.  I  must  have  you  over- 
head to  knock  through  when  the  street's 
clear.     I'll   com.e   with    vou   and   show   a 

light."  ■    .^ 

Well,  you  may  imagine  how  little  I  liked 
the  prospect  of  this  lonely  vigil;  and  yet 
there  was  something  very  stimulating  in 
the  vital  responsibility  which  it  involved. 
Hitherto  I  had  been  a  mere  spectator.  Now 
I  was  to  take  part  in  the  game.  And  the 
fresh  excitement  made  me  more  than  ever 
insensible  to  those  considerations  of  con- 


The  Ides  of  March 

science  and  of  safety  which  were  already  as 
dead  nerves  in  my  breast. 

So  I  took  my  post  without  a  murmur  in 
the  front  room  above  the  shop.  The  fixt- 
ures had  been  left  for  the  refusal  of  the 
incoming  tenant,  and  fortunately  for  us  they 
included  Venetian  blinds  which  were  al- 
ready down.  It  was  the  simplest  matter  in 
the  world  to  stand  peeping  through  the 
laths  into  the  street,  to  beat  tw4ce  with  mv 
foot  when  anybody  was  approaching,  and 
once  when  all  was  clear  again.  The  noises 
that  even  I  could  hear  below,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  metallic  crash  at  the  begin- 
ning, were  indeed  incredibly  slight;  but  they 
ceased  altogether  at  each  double  rap  from 
my  toe;  and  a  policeman  passed  quite  half 
a  dozen  times  beneath  my  eyes,  and  the 
man  whom  I  took  to  be  the  jeweller's  watch- 
man oftener  still,  during  the  better  part  of 
an  hour  that  I  spent  at  the  window.  Once, 
indeed,  my  heart  was  in  my  mouth,  but  only 
once.  It  was  when  the  watchman  stopped 
and  peered  through  the  peep-hole  into  the 
lighted  shop.  I  waited  for  his  whistle — I 
waited  for  the  gallows  or  the  gaol!  But 
33 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

my  signals  had  been  studiously  obeyed,  and 
the  man  passed  on  in  undisturbed  serenity. 
In  the  end  I  had  a  signal  in  my  turn,  and 
retraced  my  steps  with  lighted  matches, 
down  the  broad  stairs,  down  the  narrow 
ones,  across  the  area,  and  up  into  the  lobby 
where  Raffles  awaited  me  with  an  out- 
stretched hand. 

"  Well  done,  my  boy !  "  said  he.  "  You're 
the  same  good  man  in  a  pinch,  and  you 
shall  have  your  reward.  I've  got  a  thou- 
sand pound's  worth  if  I've  got  a  penn'oth. 
It's  all  in  my  pockets.  And  here's  some- 
thing else  I  found  in  this  locker;  very  de- 
cent port  and  some  cigars,  meant  for  poor 
dear  Danby's  business  friends.  Take  a  pull, 
and  you  shall  light  up  presently.  I've  found 
a  lavatory,  too,  and  we  must  have  a  wash- 
and-brush-up  before  we  go,  for  I'm  as  black 
as  your  boot." 

The  iron  curtain  was  down,  but  he  in- 
sisted on  raising  it  until  I  could  peep 
through  the  glass  door  on  the  other  side 
and  see  his  handiwork  in  the  shop  beyond. 
Here  two  electric  lights  were  left  burning 
all  night  long,  and  in  their  cold  white  rays 


The  Ides  of  March 

I  could  at  first  see  nothing  amiss.  I  looked 
along  an  orderly  lane,  an  empty  glass  coun- 
ter on  my  left,  glass  cupboards  of  untouched 
silver  on  my  right,  and  facing  me  the  filmy 
black  eye  of  the  peep-hole  that  shone  like  a 
stage  moon  on  the  street.  The  counter 
had  not  been  emptied  by  Rafifles;  its  con- 
tents were  in  the  Chubb's  safe,  which  he 
had  given  up  at  a  glance;  nor  had  he  looked 
at  the  silver,  except  to  choose  a  cigarette- 
case  for  me.  He  had  confined  himself  en- 
tirely to  the  shop  window.  This  was  in 
three  compartments,  each  secured  for  the 
night  by  removable  panels  with  separate 
locks.  Raffles  had  removed  them  a  few 
hours  before  their  time,  and  the  electric 
light  shone  on  a  corrugated  shutter  bare 
as  the  ribs  of  an  empty  carcase.  Every 
article  of  value  was  gone  from  the  one  place 
which  was  invisible  from  the  little  window 
in  the  door;  elsewhere  all  was  as  it  had 
been  left  overnight.  And  but  for  a  train  of 
mangled  doors  behind  the  iron  curtain,  a 
bottle  of  wine  and  a  cigar-box  with  which 
liberties  had  been  taken,  a  rather  black 
towel  in  the  lavatory,  a  burnt  match  here 
35 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

and  there,  and  our  finger-marks  on  the 
dusty  banisters,  not  a  trace  of  our  visit  did 
we  leave. 

"  Had  it  in  my  head  for  long? "  said 
Rafifles,  as  we  strolled  through  the  streets 
towards  dawn,  for  all  the  world  as  though 
we  were  returning  from  a  dance.  "  No, 
Bunny,  I  never  thought  of  it  till  I  saw  that 
upper  part  empty  about  a  month  ago,  and 
bought  a  few  things  in  the  shop  to  get  the 
lie  of  the  land.  That  reminds  me  that  I 
never  paid  for  them;  but,  by  Jove,  I  will 
to-morrow,  and  if  that  isn't  poetic  justice, 
what  is?  One  visit  showed  me  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  place,  but  a  second  convinced 
me  of  its  impossibilities  without  a  pal.  So 
I  had  practically  given  up  the  idea,  when 
you  came  along  on  the  very  night  and  in 
the  very  plight  for  it!  But  here  we  are  at 
the  Albany,  and  I  hope  there's  some  fire 
left;  for  I  don't  know  how  you  feel.  Bunny, 
but  for  my  part  I'm  as  cold  as  Keats's  owl." 

He  could  think  of  Keats  on  his  way  from 
a  felony!  He  could  hanker  for  his  fireside 
like  another !  Floodgates  were  loosed  with- 
in me,  and  the  plain  English  of  our  advent* 
36 


The  Ides  of  March 

lire  rushed  over  me  as  cold  as  ice.  Raffles 
was  a  burglar.  I  had  helped  him  to  com- 
mit one  burglary,  therefore  I  was  a  burglar 
too.  Yet  I  could  stand  and  warm  myself 
by  his  fire,  and  watch  him  empty  his 
pockets,  as  though  we  had  done  nothing 
wonderful  or  wicked! 

My  blood  froze.  My  heart  sickened.  My 
brain  whirled.  How  I  had  liked  this  villain! 
How  i  had  admired  him!  Now  my  liking 
and  admiration  must  turn  to  loathing  and 
disgust.  I  waited  for  the  change.  I  longed 
to  feel  it  in  my  heart.  But — I  longed  and  I 
waited  in  vain! 

I  saw  that  he  was  emptying  his  pockets; 
the  table  sparkled  with  their  hoard.  Rings 
by  the  dozen,  diamonds  by  the  score ;  brace- 
lets, pendants,  aigrettes,  necklaces;  pearls, 
rubies,  amethysts,  sapphires;  and  diamonds 
always,  diamonds  in  everything,  flashing 
bayonets  of  light,  dazzling  me — blinding 
me — making  me  disbelieve  because  I  could 
no  longer  forget.  Last  of  all  came  no  gem, 
indeed,  but  my  own  revolver  from  an  inner 
pocket.  And  that  struck  a  chord.  I  sup- 
pose I  said  something — my  hand  flew  out. 
37 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  can  see  Raffles  now,  as  he  looked  at  me 
once  more  with  a  high  arch  over  each  clear 
eye.  I  can  see  him  pick  out  the  cartridges 
with  his  quiet,  cynical  smile,  before  he 
would  give  me  my  pistol  back  again. 

"  You  mayn't  believe  it,  Bunny,"  said  he, 
"  but  I  never  carried  a  loaded  one  before. 
On  the  whole  I  think  it  gives  one  con- 
fidence. Yet  it  would  be  very  awkward  if 
anything  went  wrong;  one  might  use  it, 
and  that's  not  the  game  at  all,  though  I 
have  often  thought  that  the  murderer  who 
has  just  done  the  trick  must  have  great  sen- 
sations before  things  get  too  hot  for  him. 
Don't  look  so  distressed,  my  dear  chap.  I've 
never  had  those  sensations,  and  I  don't  sup- 
pose I  ever  shall." 

"  But  this  much  you  have  done  before?  " 
said  I  hoarsely. 

"  Before?  My  dear  Bunny,  you  offend 
me!  Did  it  look  like  a  first  attempt?  Of 
course  I  have  done  it  before." 

"  Often?  " 

"Well — no!  Not  often  enough  to  de- 
stroy the  charm,  at  all  events;  never,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  unless  I'm  cursedly  hard  up. 
38 


The  Ides  of  March 

Did  you  hear  about  the  Thimbleby  dia- 
monds? Well,  that  was  the  last  time — and 
a  poor  lot  of  paste  they  were.  Then  there 
was  the  little  business  of  the  Dormer  house- 
boat at  Henley  last  year.  That  was  mine 
also — such  as  it  was.  I've  never  brought 
off  a  really  big  coup  yet;  when  I  do  I  shall 
chuck  it  up." 

Yes,  I  remembered  both  cases  very  well. 
To  think  that  he  was  their  author!  It  was 
incredible,  outrageous,  inconceivable.  Then 
my  eyes  would  fall  upon  the  table,  twinkling 
and  glittering  in  a  hundred  places,  and  in- 
credulity was  at  an  end. 

"  How  came  you  to  begin?  "  I  asked,  as 
curiosity  overcame  mere  wonder,  and  a 
fascination  for  his  career  gradually  wove 
itself  into  my  fascination  for  the  man. 

"  Ah !  that's  a  long  story,"  said  Rafifles. 
"  It  was  in  the  Colonies,  w^hen  I  was  out 
there  playing  cricket.  It's  too  long  a  story 
to  tell  you  now,  but  I  was  in  much  the  same 
fix  that  you  were  in  to-night,  and  it  was 
my  only  way  out.  I  never  meant  it  for  any- 
thing more;  but  I'd  tasted  blood,  and  it 
was  all  over  with  me.  Why  should  I  work 
39 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

when  I  could  steal?  Wiiy  settle  down  to 
some  humdrum  uncongenial  billet,  when 
excitement,  romance,  danger  and  a  decent 
living  were  all  going  begging  together?  Of 
course  it's  very  wrong,  but  we  can't  all  be 
moralists,  and  the  distribution  of  wealth  is 
very  wrong  to  begin  with.  Besides,  you're 
not  at  it  all  the  time.  I'm  sick  of  quoting 
Gilbert's  lines  to  myself,  but  they're  pro- 
foundly true.  I  only  wonder  if  you'll  like 
the  life  as  much  as  I  do!  " 

"Like  it?"  I  cried  out.     "Not  I!     It's 
no  life  for  me.    Once  is  enough!  " 

"  You  wouldn't  give  me  a  hand  another 
time?" 

"  Don't  ask  me,  Raffles.    Don't  ask  me, 
for  God's  sake!" 

"  Yet  you  said  you  would  do  anything 
for  me !  You  asked  me  to  name  my  crime ! 
But  I  knew  at  the  time  you  didn't  mean  it; 
you  didn't  go  back  on  me  to-night,  and 
that  ought  to  satisfy  me,  goodness  knows! 
I  suppose  I'm  ungrateful,  and  unreasonable, 
and  all  that.  I  ought  to  let  it  end  at  this. 
But  you're  the  very  man  for  me.  Bunny, 
the — very — man!  Just  think  how  we  got 
40 


The  Ides  of  March 

through  to-night.  Not  a  scratch — not  a 
hitch!  There's  nothing  very  terrible  in  it, 
you  see;  there  never  would  be,  while  we 
worked  together." 

He  was  standing  in  front  of  me  with  a 
hand  on  either  shoulder;  he  was  smiling  as 
he  knew  so  well  how  to  smile.  I  turned  on 
my  heel,  planted  my  elbows  on  the  chimney- 
piece,  and  my  burning  head  between  my 
hands.  Next  instant  a  still  heartier  hand 
had  fallen  on  my  back. 

"  All  right,  my  boy!  You  are  quite  right 
and  I'm  worse  than  wrong.  I'll  never  ask 
it  again.  Go,  if  you  want  to,  and  come 
again  about  mid-day  for  the  cash.  There 
was  no  bargain ;  but,  of  course,  I'll  get  you 
out  of  your  scrape — especially  after  the  way 
you've  stood  by  me  to-night." 

I  was  round  again  with  my  blood  on  fire. 

"  I'll  do  it  again,"  I  said,  through  my 
teeth. 

He  shook  his  head.  "  Not  you,"  he  said, 
smiling  quite  good-humouredly  on  my  in- 
sane enthusiasm. 

"  I  will,"  I  cried  with  an  oath.    "  I'll  lend 
you  a  hand  as  often  as  you  like!     What 
4' 


The  Amaieur  Cracksman 

does  it  matter  now?  I've  been  in  it  once. 
I'ii  be  in  it  again.  I've  gone  to  the  devil 
anyhow.  I  can't  go  back,  and  wouldn't  if 
I  could.  Nothing  matters  another  rap! 
When  you  want  me  I'm  your  man!  " 

And  that  is  how  Raffles  and  I  joined 
felonious  forces  on  the  Ides  of  March. 


42 


A  COSTUME  PIECE, 

T  ONDON  was  just  then  talking  of  one 
whose  name  is  already  a  name  and 
nothing  more.  Reuben  Rosenthall  had  made 
his  millions  on  the  diamond  fields  of  South 
Africa,  and  had  come  home  to  enjoy  them 
according  to  his  lights ;  how  he  went  to 
work  will  scarcely  be  forgotten  by  any  read- 
er of  the  halfpenny  evening  papers,  which 
revelled  in  endless  anecdotes  of  his  original 
indigence  and  present  prodigality,  varied 
with  interesting  particulars  of  the  extraor- 
dinary establishment  which  the  millionaire 
set  up  in  St.  John's  Wood.  Here  he  kept 
a  retinue  of  Kaffirs,  who  were  literally  his 
slaves ;  and  hence  he  would  sally,  with  enor- 
mous diamonds  in  his  shirt  and  on  his 
finger,  in  the  convoy  of  a  prize-fighter  of 
heinous  repute,  who  was  not,  however,  by 
any  means  the  worst  element  in  the  Rosen- 
43 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

thall  menage.  So  said  common  gossip; 
but  the  fact  was  sufficiently  established  by 
the  interference  of  the  police  on  at  least  one 
occasion,  followed  by  certain  magisterial 
proceedings  which  were  reported  with  jus- 
tifiable gusto  and  huge  headlines  in  the 
newspapers  aforesaid.  And  this  was  all  one 
knew  of  Reuben  Rosenthall  up  to  the  time 
when  the  Old  Bohemian  Club,  having  fallen 
on  evil  days,  found  it  worth  its  while  to 
organise  a  great  dinner  in  honour  of  so 
wealthy  an  exponent  of  the  club's  principles. 
I  was  not  at  the  banquet  myself,  but  a 
member  took  Raffles,  who  told  me  all  about 
it  that  very  night. 

"  Most  extraordinary  show  I  ever  went  to 
in  my  life,"  said  he.  "  As  for  the  man  him- 
self— well,  I  was  prepared  for  something 
grotesque,  but  the  fellow  fairly  took  my 
breath  away.  To  begin  with,  he's  the  most 
astounding  brute  to  look  at,  well  over  six 
feet,  with  a  chest  like  a  barrel,  and  a  great 
hook-nose,  and  the  reddest  hair  and  whisk- 
ers you  ever  saw.  Drank  like  a  fire-engine, 
but  only  got  drunk  enough  to  make  us  a 
speech  that  I  wouldn't  have  missed  for  ten 
44 


A  Costume  Piece 

pounds.    I'm  only  sorry  you  weren't  there, 
too.  Bunny,  old  chap." 

I  began  to  be  sorry  myself,  for  Raffles 
was  anything  but  an  excitable  person,  and 
never  had  I  seen  him  so  excited  before. 
Had  he  been  following  Rosenthall's  exam- 
ple ?  His  coming  to  my  rooms  at  midnight, 
merely  to  tell  me  about  his  dinner,  was  in 
itself  enough  to  excuse  a  suspicion  which 
was  certainly  at  variance  with  my  knowl- 
edge of  A.  J.  Raffles. 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  "  I  inquired  mechan- 
ically, divining  some  subtler  explanation  of 
this  visit,  and  wondering  what  on  earth  it 
could  be. 

"  Say?  "  cried  Raffles.  "  What  did  he  not 
say !  He  boasted  of  his  rise,  he  bragged  of 
his  riches,  and  he  blackguarded  society  for 
taking  him  up  for  his  money  and  dropping 
him  out  of  sheer  pique  and  jealousy  because 
he  had  so  much.  He  mentioned  names,  too, 
with  the  most  charming  freedom,  and  swore 
he  was  as  good  a  man  as  the  Old  Country 
had  to  show — pace  the  Old  Bohemians.  To 
prove  it  he  pointed  to  a  great  diamond  in 
the  middle  of  his  shirt-front  with  a  little 
45 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

finger   loaded   with   another   just   like    it: 
which  of  our  bloated  princes  could  show  a 
pair  like  that?    As  a  matter  of  fact  they 
seemed    quite    wonderful    stones,    with    a 
curious  purple  gleam  to  them  that  must 
mean  a  pot  of  money.    But  old  Rosenthall 
swore    he    wouldn't    take    fifty    thousand 
pounds  for  the  two,  and  wanted  to  know 
where  the  other  man  was  who  went  about 
with  twenty-five  thousand  in  his  shirt-front, 
and  other  twenty-five  on  his  little  finger. 
He  didn't  exist.    If  he  did,  he  wouldn't  have 
the  pluck  to  wear  them.     But  he  had — he'd 
tell  us  why.     And  before  you  could  say 
Jack  Robinson  he  had  whipped  out  a  whack- 
ing great  revolver !  " 
"  Not  at  the  table?" 
"  At  the  table !     In   the  middle  of   his 
speech!     But  it  was  nothing  to  what  he 
Avanted  to  do.     He  actually  wanted  us  to 
let  him  write  his  name  in  bullets  on  the 
opposite  wall  to  show  us  why  he  wasn't 
afraid  to  go  about  in  all  his  diamonds !  That 
brute  Purvis,  the  prize-fighter,  who  is  his 
paid  bully,  had  to  bully  his  master  before 
he  could  be  persuaded  out  of  it.    There  was 
46 


A  Costume  Piece 

quite  a  panic  for  the  moment;  one  fellow 
was  saying  his  prayers  under  the  table,  and 
the  waiters  bolted  to  a  man." 

"  What  a  grotesque  scene !  " 

"  Grotesque  enough,  but  I  rather  wish 
they  had  let  him  go  the  whole  hog  and 
blaze  away.  He  was  as  keen  as  knives  to 
show  us  how  he  could  take  care  of  his 
purple  diamonds;  and,  do  you  know.  Bun- 
ny, /  was  as  keen  as  kniyes  to  see." 

And  Raffles  leant  towards  me  with  a  sly, 
slow  smile  that  made  the  hidden  meaning  of 
his  visit  only  too  plain  to  me  at  last. 

"  So  you  think  of  having  a  try  for  his 
diamonds  yourself?" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  It  is  horridly  obvious,  I  admit.  But — 
yes,  I  have  set  my  heart  upon  them!  To 
be  quite  frank.  I  have  had  them  on  my  con- 
science for  some  time ;  one  couldn't  hear 
so  much  of  the  man,  and  his  prize-fighter, 
and  his  diamonds,  without  feeling  it  a  kind 
of  duty  to  have  a  go  for  them ;  but  when 
it  comes  to  brandishing  a  revolver  and  prac- 
tically challenging  the  world,  the  thing  be- 
comes inevitable.  It  is  simply  thrust  upon 
47 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

one.  I  was  fated  to  hear  that  challenge, 
Bunny,  and  I,  for  one,  must  take  it  up.  I 
was  only  sorry  I  couldn't  get  on  my  hind 
legs  and  say  so  then  and  there." 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  I  don't  see  the  necessity 
as  things  are  with  us;  but,  of  course,  I'm 
your  man." 

My  tone  may  have  been  half-hearted.  I 
did  my  best  to  make  it  otherwise.  But  it 
was  barely  a  month  since  our  Bond  Street 
exploit,  and  we  certainly  could  have  af- 
forded to  behave  ourselves  for  some  time 
to  come.  We  had  been  getting  along  so 
nicely :  by  his  advice  I  had  scribbled  a  thing 
or  two ;  inspired  by  Raffles,  I  had  even  done 
an  article  on  our  own  jewel  robbery;  and 
for  the  moment  I  was  quite  satisfied  with 
this  sort  of  adventure.  I  thought  we  ought 
to  know  when  we  were  well  off,  and  could 
see  no  point  in  our  running  fresh  risks  be- 
fore we  were  obliged.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  was  anxious  not  to  show  the  least  dis- 
position to  break  the  pledge  that  I  had  given 
a  month  ago.  But  it  was  not  on  my  man- 
ifest disinclination  that  Raffles  fastened. 

"  Necessity,  my  dear  Bunny  ?  Does  the 
48 


A  Costume  Piece 

writer  only  write  when  the  wolf  is  at  the 
door?  Does  the  painter  paint  for  bread 
alone  ?  Must  you  and  I  be  driven  to  crime 
like  Tom  of  Bow  and  Dick  of  Whitechapel  ? 
You  pain  me,  my  dear  chap;  you  needn't 
laugh,  because  you  do.  Art  for  art's  sake 
is  a  vile  catchword,  but  I  confess  it  appeals 
to  me.  In  this  case  my  motives  are  abso- 
lutely pure,  for  I  doubt  if  we  shall  ever  be 
able  to  dispose  of  such  peculiar  stones.  But 
if  I  don't  have  a  try  for  them — after  to- 
night— I  shall  never  be  able  to  hold  up  my 
head  again." 

His  eye  twinkled,  but  it  glittered  too. 

"  We  shall  have  our  work  cut  out,"  was 
all  I  said. 

"  And  do  you  suppose  I  should  be  keen 
on  it  if  we  hadn't  ?  "  cried  Raffles.  "  My 
dear  fellow,  I  would  rob  St.  Paul's  Cathedral 
if  I  could,  but  I  could  no  more  scoop  a  till 
when  the  shopwalker  wasn't  looking  than  I 
could  bag  the  apples  out  of  an  old  woman's 
basket.  Even  that  little  business  last  month 
was  a  sordid  affair,  but  it  was  necessary, 
and  I  think  its  strategy  redeemed  it  to  some 
extent.  Now  there's  some  credit,  and  more 
49 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

sport,  in  going  where  they  boast  they're  on 
their  guard  against  you.  The  Bank  of  Eng- 
land, for  example,  is  the  ideal  crib;  but 
that  would  need  half  a  dozen  of  us  with 
years  to  give  to  the  job;  and  meanwhile 
Reuben  Rosenthall  is  high  enough  game  for 
you  and  me.  We  know  he's  armed.  We 
know  how  Billy  Purvis  can  fight.  It'll  be 
no  soft  thing,  I  grant  you.  But  what  of 
that,  my  good  Bunny — what  of  that?  A 
man's  reach  must  exceed  his  grasp,  dear 
boy,  or  what  the  dickens  is  a  heaven  for?  " 

"  I  would  rather  we  didn't  exceed  ours 
just  yet,"  I  answered  laughing,  for  his  spirit 
was  irresistible,  and  the  plan  was  growing 
upon  me,  despite  my  qualms. 

"  Trust  me  for  that,"  was  his  reply ;  "  I'll 
see  you  through.  After  all  I  expect  to  find 
that  the  difficulties  are  nearly  all  on  the  sur- 
face. These  fellows  both  drink  like  the 
devil,  and  that  should  simplify  matters  con- 
siderably. But  v/e  shall  see,  and  we  must 
take  our  time.  There  will  probably  turn  out 
to  be  a  dozen  different  ways  in  which  the 
thing  might  be  done,  and  we  shall  have  to 
choose  between  them.    It  will  mean  watch- 


A  Costume  Piece 

ing  the  house  for  at  least  a  week  in  any  case ; 
it  may  mean  lots  of  other  things  that  will 
take  much  longer ;  but  give  me  a  week,  and 
I  will  tell  you  more.  That's  to  say  if  you're 
really  on  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am,"  I  replied  indignantly. 
"  But  why  should  I  give  you  a  week  ?  Why 
shouldn't  we  watch  the  house  together  ? '' 

'•  Because  two  eyes  are  as  good  as  four 
and  take  up  less  room.  Never  hunt  in 
couples  unless  you're  obliged.  But  don't 
you  look  offended,  Bunny ;  there'll  be  plenty 
for  you  to  do  when  the  time  comes,  that  I 
promise  you.  You  shall  have  your  share 
of  the  fun,  never  fear,  and  a  purple  dia- 
mond all  to  yourself — if  we're  lucky." 

On  the  whole,  however,  this  conversation 
left  me  less  than  lukewarm,  and  I  still  re- 
member the  depression  which  came  upon  me 
when  Raffles  was  gone.  I  saw  the  folly  of 
the  enterprise  to  which  I  had  committed 
myself — the  sheer,  gratuitous,  unnecessary 
folly  of  it.  And  the  paradoxes  in  which 
Raffles  revelled,  and  the  frivolous  casuistry 
which  was  nevertheless  half  sincere,  and 
which  his  mere  personality  rendered  wholly 
51 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

plausible  at  the  moment  of  utterance,  ap- 
pealed very  little  to  me  when  recalled  in  cold 
blood.  I  admired  the  spirit  of  pure  mischief 
in  which  he  seemed  prepared  to  risk  his 
liberty  and  his  life,  but  I  did  not  find  it  an 
infectious  spirit  on  calm  reflection.  Yet  the 
thought  of  withdrawal  was  not  to  be  en*:er- 
tained  for  a  moment.  On  the  contrary,  I 
was  impatient  of  the  delay  ordained  vby 
Raffles ;  and,  perhaps,  no  small  part  of  my 
secret  disaffection  came  of  his  galling  de- 
termination to  do  without  me  until  the  last 
moment. 

It  made  it  no  better  that  this  was  charac- 
teristic of  the  man  and  of  his  attitude  to- 
wards me.  For  a  month  we  had  been,  I 
suppose,  the  thickest  thieves  in  all  London, 
and  yet  our  intimacy  was  curiously  incom- 
plete. With  all  his  charming  frankness, 
there  was  in  Raffles  a  vein  of  capricious  re- 
serve which  was  perceptible  enough  to  be 
very  irritating.  He  had  the  instinctive 
secretiveness  of  the  inveterate  criminal.  He 
would  make  mysteries  of  matters  of  com- 
mon concern ;  for  example,  I  never  knew 
how  or  where  he  disposed  of  the  Bond  Street 
52 


A  Costume  Piece 

jewels,  on  the  proceeds  of  which  we  were 
both  still  leading  the  outward  lives  of  hun- 
dreds of  other  young  fellows  about  town. 
He  was  consistently  mysterious  about  that 
and  other  details,  of  which  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  had  already  earned  the  right  to  know 
everything.  I  could  not  but  remember  how 
he  had  led  me  into  my  first  felony,  by  means 
of  a  trick,  while  yet  uncertain  whether  he 
could  trust  me  or  not.  That  I  could  no 
longer  afford  to  resent,  but  I  did  resent  his 
want  of  confidence  in  me  now.  I  said  noth- 
ing about  it,  but  it  rankled  every  day,  and 
never  more  than  in  the  week  that  succeeded 
the  Rosenthall  dinner.  When  I  met  Raffles 
at  the  club  he  would  tell  me  nothing ;  when 
I  went  to  his  rooms  he  was  out,  or  pretended 
to  be. 

One  day  he  told  me  he  was  getting  on 
well,  but  slowly ;  it  was  a  more  ticklish 
game  than  he  had  thought ;  but  when  I  be- 
gan to  ask  questions  he  would  say  no  more. 
Then  and  there,  in  my  annoyance,  I  took 
my  own  decision.  Since  he  would  tell  me 
nothing  of  the  result  of  his  vigils,  I  deter- 
mined to  keep  one  on  my  own  account,  and 
53 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

that  very  evening  found  my  way  to  the  mil- 
lionaire's front  gates. 

The  house  he  was  occupying  is,  I  believe, 
quite  the  largest  in  the  St.  John's  Wood 
district.  It  stands  in  the  angle  formed  by 
two  broad  thoroughfares,  neither  of  which, 
as  it  happens,  is  a  'bus  route,  and  I  doubt 
if  many  quieter  spots  exist  within  the  four- 
mile  radius.  Quiet  also  was  the  great 
square  house,  in  its  garden  of  grass-plots 
and  shrubs ;  the  lights  were  low,  the  million- 
aire and  his  friends  obviously  spending 
their  evening  elsewhere.  The  garden  walls 
were  only  a  few  feet  high.  In  one  there  was 
a  side  door  opening  into  a  glass  passage ; 
in  the  other  two  five-barred,  grained-and- 
varnished  gates,  one  at  either  end  of  the 
little  semi-circular  drive,  and  both  wide 
open.  So  still  was  the  place  that  I  had 
a  great  mind  to  walk  boldly  in  and  learn 
something  of  the  premises ;  in  fact,  I  was  on 
the  point  of  doing  so,  when  I  heard  a  quick, 
shuffling  step  on  the  pavement  behind  me. 
I  turned  round  and  faced  the  dark  scowl 
and  the  dirty  clenched  fists  of  a  dilapidated 
tramp. 

5^ 


A  Costume  Piece 

"  You  fool !  "  said  he.  "  You  utter  idiot !  " 

"  Raffles !  " 

"  That's  it,"  he  whispered  savagely ; 
"  tell  all  the  neighbourhood — give  me  away 
at  the  top  of  your  voice  I  " 

With  that  he  turned  his  back  upon  me, 
and  shambled  down  the  road,  shrugging  his 
shoulders  and  muttering  to  himself  as 
though  I  had  refused  him  alms.  A  few 
moments  I  stood  astounded,  indignant,  at  a 
loss ;  then  I  followed  him.  His  feet  trailed, 
his  knees  gave,  his  back  was  bowed,  his  head 
kept  nodding;  it  was  the  gait  of  a  man 
eighty  years  of  age.  Presently  he  waited 
for  me  midway  between  two  lamp-posts. 
As  I  came  up  he  was  lighting  rank  tobacco, 
in  a  cutty  pipe,  with  an  evil-smelling  match, 
and  the  flame  showed  me  the  suspicion  of  a 
smile. 

"  You  must  forgive  my  heat.  Bunny,  but 
it  really  was  very  foolish  of  you.  Here  am 
I  trying  every  dodge — begging  at  the  door 
one  night — hiding  in  the  shrubs  the  next — 
doing  every  mortal  thing  but  stand  and 
stare  at  the  house  as  you  went  and  did.  It's 
a  costume  piece,  and  in  you  rush  in  your 
55 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ordinary  clothes.  I  tell  you  they're  on  the 
look-out  for  us  night  and  day.  It's  the 
toughest  nut  I  ever  tackled !  " 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  if  you  had  told  me  so 
before  I  shouldn't  have  come.  You  told  me 
nothing." 

He  looked  hard  at  me  from  under  the 
broken  brim  of  a  battered  billycock. 

"  You're  right,"  he  said  at  length.  "  I've 
been  too  close.  It's  become  second  nature 
with  me  when  I've  anything  on.  But  here's 
an  end  of  it,  Bunny,  so  far  as  you're  con- 
cerned. I'm  going  home  now,  and  I  want 
you  to  follow  me;  but  for  heaven's  sake 
keep  your  distance,  and  don't  speak  to  me 
again  till  I  speak  to  you.  There — give  me 
a  start."  And  he  was  off  again,  a  decrepit 
vagabond,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
his  elbows  squared,  and  frayed  coat-tails 
swinging  raggedly  from  side  to  side. 

I  followed  him  to  the  Finchley  Road 
There  he  took  an  Atlas  omnibus,  and  I  sat 
some  rows  behind  him  on  the  top,  but  not 
far  enough  to  escape  the  pest  of  his  vile 
tobacco.  That  he  could  carry  his  character- 
sketch  to  such  a  pitch — he  who  would  only 
56 


A  Costume  Piece 

smoke  one  brand  of  cigarette!  It  was  the 
last,  least  touch  of  the  insatiable  artist,  and 
it  charmed  away  what  mortification  there 
still  remained  in  me.  Once  more  I  felt  the 
fascination  of  a  comrade  who  was  forever 
dazzling  one  with  a  fresh  and  unsuspected 
facet  of  his  character. 

As  we  neared  Piccadilly  I  wondered  what 
he  would  do.  Surely  he  was  not  going  into 
the  Albany  like  that  ?  No,  he  took  another 
omnibus  to  Sloane  Street,  I  sitting  behind 
him  as  before.  At  Sloane  Street  we  changed 
again,  and  were  presently  in  the  long  lean 
artery  of  the  King's  Road.  I  was  now  all 
agog  to  know  our  destination,  nor  was  I 
kept  many  more  minutes  in  doubt.  Raffles 
got  down.  I  followed.  He  crossed  the  road 
and  disappeared  up  a  dark  turning.  I 
pressed  after  him,  and  was  in  time  to  see 
his  coat-tails  as  he  plunged  into  a  still  dark- 
er flagged  alley  to  the  right.  He  was  hold- 
ing himself  up  and  stepping  out  like  a  young 
man  once  more;  also,  in  some  subtle  way, 
he  already  looked  less  disreputable.  But  I 
alone  was  there  to  see  him,  the  alley  was 
absolutely  deserted,  and  desperately  dark. 
S7 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

At  the  further  end  he  opened  a  door  with 
a  latch-key,  and  it  was  darker  yet  within. 

Instinctively  I  drew  back  and  heard  him 
chuckle.  We  could  no  longer  see  each 
other. 

"  All  right,  Bunny !  There's  no  hanky- 
panky  this  time.  These  are  studios,  my 
friend,  and  Vm  one  of  the  lawful  tenants." 

Indeed,  in  another  minute  we  were  in  a 
lofty  room  with  skylight,  easels,  dressing- 
cupboard,  platform,  and  every  other  adjunct 
save  the  signs  of  actual  labour.  The  first 
thing  I  saw,  as  Raffles  lit  the  gas,  was  its 
reflection  in  his  silk  hat  on  the  pegs  beside 
the  rest  of  his  normal  garments. 

"Looking  for  the  works  of  art?"  con- 
tinued Raffles,  lighting  a  cigarette  and  be- 
ginning to  divest  himself  of  his  rags.  "  I'm 
afraid  you  won't  find  any,  but  there's  the 
canvas  I'm  always  going  to  make  a  start 
upon,  I  tell  them  I'm  looking  high  and  low 
for  my  ideal  model.  I  have  the  svove  lit  on 
principle  twice  a  week,  and  look  in  and  leave 
a  newspaper  and  a  smell  of  Sullivans — how 
good  they  are  after  shag !  Meanwhile  I  pay 
my  rent  and  am  a  good  tenant  in  every  way ; 
58 


A  Costume  Piece 

and  it's  a  very  useful  little  pied-a-tcrre — 
there's  no  saying  how  useful  it  might  be  at 
a  pinch.  As  it  is,  the  billycock  comes  in  and 
the  topper  goes  out,  and  nobody  takes  the 
slightest  notice  of  either;  at  this  time  of 
night  the  chances  are  that  there's  not  a  soul 
in  the  building  except  ourselves." 

"  You  never  told  me  you  went  in  for  dis- 
guises," said  I,  watching  him  as  he  cleansed 
the  grime  from  his  face  and  hands. 

"  No,  Bunny,  I've  treated  you  very  shab- 
bily all  round.  There  was  really  no  reason 
why  I  shouldn't  have  shown  you  this  place 
a  month  ago,  and  yet  there  was  no  point  in 
my  doing  so,  and  circumstances  are  just 
conceivable  in  which  it  would  have  suited 
us  both  for  you  to  be  in  genuine  ignorance 
of  my  whereabouts.  I  have  something  to 
sleep  on,  as  you  perceive,  in  case  of  need, 
and,  of  course,  my  name  is  not  Raffles  in  the 
King's  Road.  So  you  will  see  that  one 
might  bolt  further  and  fare  worse." 

"  Meanwhile  you  use  the  place  as  a  dress- 
ing-room ?  " 

"  It's  my  private  pavilion,"  said  Raffles. 
"  Disguises  ?    In  some  cases  they're  half  the 
59 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

battle,  and  it's  always  pleasant  to  feel  that, 
if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  you  needn't 
necessarily  be  convicted  under  your  own 
name.  Then  they're  indispensable  in  deal- 
ing with  the  fences.  I  drive  all  my  bargains 
in  the  tongue  and  raiment  of  Shoreditch. 
If  I  didn't  there'd  be  the  very  devil  to  pay 
in  blackmail.  Now,  this  cupboard's  full  of 
all  sorts  of  toggery.  I  tell  the  woman  who 
cleans  the  room  that  it's  for  my  models 
when  I  find  'em.  By  the  way,  I  only  hope 
I've  got  something  that'll  fit  you,  for  you'll 
want  a  rig  for  to-morrow  night." 

"  To  -  morrow  night !  "  I  exclaimed. 
"  Why,  what  do  you  mean  to  do  ?  " 

"  The  trick,"  said  Raffles.  "  I  intended 
writing  to  you  as  soon  as  I  got  back  to  my 
rooms,  to  ask  you  to  look  me  up  to-morrow 
afternoon;  then  I  was  going  to  unfold  my 
plan  of  campaign,  and  take  you  straight 
into  action  then  and  there.  There's  nothing 
like  putting  the  nervous  players  in  first ;  it's 
the  sitting  with  their  pads  on  that  upsets 
their  applecart ;  that  was  another  of  my  rea- 
sons for  being  so  confoundedly  close.  You 
must  try  to  forgive  me.  I  couldn't  help 
60 


A  Costume  Piece 

remembering  how  well  you  played  up  last 
trip,   without   any   time   to   weaken   on   it 
beforehand.     All  I  want  is  for  you  to  be 
as  cool  and  smart  to-morrow  night  as  you 
were  then ;  though,  by  Jove,  there's  no  com- 
parison between  the  two  cases !  " 
"  I  thought  you  would  find  it  so." 
"  You  were  right.     I  have.     Mind  you, 
I  don't  say  this  will  be  the  tougher  job  all 
round ;  we  shall  probably  get  in  without  any 
difficulty  at  all;  it's  the  getting  out  again 
that  may  flummox  us.     That's  the  worst  of 
an  irregular  household !  "  cried  Raffles,  with 
quite  a  burst  of  virtuous  indignation.     "  I 
assure  you,  Bunny,  I  spent  the  whole  of 
Monday  night  in  the  shrubbery  of  the  gar- 
den next  door,  looking  over  the  wall,  and, 
if  you'll  believe  me,  somebody  was  about 
all  night  long!     I  don't  mean  the  Kaffirs. 
I  don't  believe  they  ever  get  to  bed  at  all — 
poor  devils!     No,  I  mean  Rosenthall  him- 
self,   and    that    pasty-faced    beast    Purvis. 
They  were  up  and  drinking  from  midnight, 
when  they  came  in,  to  broad  daylight,  when 
I  cleared  out.    Even  then  I  left  them  sober 
enough  to  slang  each  other,     By  the  way, 
6i 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

they  very  nearly  came  to  blows  in  the  gar- 
den, within  a  few  yards  of  me,  and  I  heard 
something  that  might  come  in  useful  and 
make  Rosenthall  shoot  crooked  at  a  criti- 
cal moment.  You  know  what  an  I.  D.  B. 
is?" 

"  Illicit  Diamond  Buyer?" 

"  Exactly.  Well,  it  seems  that  Rosenthall 
was  one.  He  must  have  let  it  out  to  Purvis 
in  his  cups.  Anyhow,  I  heard  Purvis  taunt- 
ing him  with  it,  and  threatening  him  with 
the  breakwater  at  Capetown;  and  I  begin 
to  think  our  friends  are  friend  and  foe.  But 
about  to-morrow  night:  there's  nothing 
subtle  in  my  plan.  It's  simply  to  get  in 
while  these  fellows  are  out  on  the  loose,  and 
to  lie  low  till  they  come  back,  and  longer. 
If  possible  we  must  doctor  the  whisky. 
That  would  simplify  the  whole  thing, 
though  it's  not  a  very  sporting  game  to 
play;  still,  we  must  remember  Rosenthall's 
revolver;  we  don't  want  him  to  sign  his 
name  on  t{S.  With  all  those  Kafifirs  about, 
however,  it's  ten  to  one  on  the  whisky,  and 
a  hundred  to  one  against  us  if  we  go  look- 
ing for  it.  A  brush  with  the  heathen  would 
62 


A  Costume  Pitce 

spoil  everything,  if  it  did  no  more.    Besides, 
there  are  the  ladies " 

"  The  deuce  there  are !  " 

"  Ladies  with  an  i,  and  the  very  voices 
for  raising  Cain.  I  fear,  I  fear  the  clamour ! 
It  would  be  fatal  to  us.  Au  contraire,  if 
we  can  manage  to  stow  ourselves  away  un- 
beknowns,  half  the  battle  will  be  won.  If 
Rosenthall  turns  in  drunk,  it's  a  purple  dia- 
mond a-piece.  If  he  sits  up  sober,  it  may 
be  a  bullet  instead.  We  will  hope  not,  Bun- 
ny; and  all  the  firing  wouldn't  be  on  one 
side ;  but  it's  on  the  knees  of  the  gods." 

And  so  we  left  it  when  we  shook  hands 
in  Piccadilly— not  by  any  means  as  much 
later  as  I  could  have  wished.  Raffles  would 
not  ask  me  to  his  rooms  that  night.  He 
said  he  made  it  a  rule  to  have  a  long  liight 
before  playing  cricket  and — other  games. 
His  final  word  to  me  was  framed  on  the 
same  principle. 

"  Mind,  only  one  drink  to-night.  Bunny. 
Two  at  the  outside — as  you  value  your  life 
— and  mine !  " 

I  remember  my  abject  obedience ;  and  the 
endless,  sleepless  night  it  gave  me ;  and  the 
63 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

roofs  of  the  houses  opposite  standing  out 
at  last  against  the  blue-grey  London  dawn. 
I  wondered  whether  I  should  ever  see  an- 
other, and  was  very  hard  on  myself  for  that 
little  expedition  which  I  had  made  on  my 
own  wilful  account. 

It  was  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  when  we  took  up  our  position 
in  the  garden  adjoining  that  of  Reuben 
Rosenthall;  the  house  itself  was  shut  up, 
thanks  to  the  outrageous  libertine  next 
door,  who,  by  driving  away  the  neighbours, 
had  gone  far  towards  delivering  himself  in- 
to our  hands.  Practically  secure  from  sur- 
prise on  that  side,  we  could  watch  our  house 
under  cover  of  a  wall  just  high  enough  to 
see  over,  while  a  fair  margin  of  shrubs  in 
either  garden  afforded  us  additional  protec- 
tion. Thus  entrenched,  we  had  stood  an 
hour,  watching  a  pair  of  lighted  bow-win- 
dows with  vague  shadows  flitting  continual- 
ly across  the  blinds,  and  listening  to  the 
drawing  of  corks,  the  clink  of  glasses,  and 
a  gradual  crescendo  of  coarse  voices  with- 
in. Our  luck  seemed  to  have  deserted  us : 
the  owner  of  the  purple  diamonds  was  din- 
64 


A  Costume  Piece 

ing  at  home  and  dining  at  undue  length. 
I  thought  it  was  a  dinner-party.  Raffles 
differed ;  in  the  •  end  he  proved  right. 
Wheels  grated  in  the  drive,  a  carriage  and 
pair  stood  at  the  steps;  there  was  a  stam- 
pede from  the  dining-room,  and  the  loud 
voices  died  away,  to  burst  forth  presently 
from  the  porch. 

Let  me  make  our  position  perfectly  clear. 
We  were  over  the  wall,  at  the  side  of  the 
house,  but  a  few^  feet  from  the  dining-room 
windows.  On  our  right,  one  angle  of  the 
building  cut  the  back  lawn  in  two  diagonal- 
ly; on  our  left,  another  angle  just  per- 
mitted us  to  see  the  jutting  steps  and  the 
waiting  carriage.  We  saw  Rosenthall  come 
out — saw  the  glimmer  of  his  diamonds  be- 
fore anything.  Then  came  the  pugilist; 
then  a  lady  with  a  head  of  hair  like  a  bath 
sponge;  then  another,  and  the  party  was 
complete. 

Raffles  ducked  and  pulled  me  dov;n  in 
great  excitement. 

"  The  ladies  are  going  with  them,"  he 
whispered.     ''This  is  great!" 

"  That's  better  still." 
65 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  The  Gardenia !  "  the  millionaire  had 
bawled. 

"And  that's  best  of  all,"  said  Raffles, 
standing  upright  as  hoofs  and  wheels 
crunched  through  the  gates  and  rattled  oft 
at  a  fine  speed. 

"Now  what?"  I  whispered,  trembling 
with  excitement. 

"  They'll  be  clearing  away.  Yes,  here 
come  their  shadows.  The  drawing-room 
windows  open  on  the  lawn.  Bunny,  it's 
the  psychological  moment.  Where's  that 
mask?" 

I  produced  it  with  a  hand  whose 
trembling  I  tried  in  vain  to  still,  and  could 
have  died  for  Raffles  when  he  made  no 
comment  on  what  he  could  not  fail  to  no- 
tice. His  own  hands  were  firm  and  cool  as 
he  adjusted  miy  mask  for  me,  and  then  his 
own. 

"  By  Jove,  old  boy,"  he  whispered  cheer- 
ily, "  you  look  about  the  greatest  ruffian  I 
ever  saw !  These  masks  alone  will  down  a 
nigger,  if  we  meet  one.  But  I'm  glad  I  re- 
membered to  tell  you  not  to  shave.  You'll 
pass  for  Whitechapel  if  the  worst  comes 
66 


A  Costume  Piece 

to  the  worst  and  you  don't  forget  to  talk  the 
lingo.  Better  sulk  like  a  mule  if  you're  not 
sure  of  it,  and  leave  the  dialogue  to  me ;  but, 
please  our  stars,  there  will  be  no  need. 
Now,  are  you  ready  ?  " 

"  Quite." 

"  Got  your  gag?" 

"  Yes." 

"Shooter?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  follow  me." 

In  an  instant  we  were  over  the  wall,  in 
another  on  the  lawn  behind  the  house.  There 
was  no  moon.  The  very  stars  in  their 
courses  had  veiled  themselves  for  our  ben- 
efit. I  crept  at  my  leader's  heels  to  some 
French  windows  opening  upon  a  shallow 
verandah.     He  pushed.     They  yielded. 

"  Luck  again,"  he  whispered ;  "  nothing 
but  luck !     Now  for  a  light." 

And  the  light  came! 

A  good  score  of  electric  burners  glowed 
red  for  the  fraction  of  a  second,  then  rained 
merciless  white  beams  into  our  blinded  eyes. 
When  we  found  our  sight  four  revolvers 
covered  us,  and  between  two  of  them  the 
67 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

colossal  frame  of  Reuben  Rosenthal!  shook 
with  a  wheezy  laughter  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Good  evening,  boys,"  he  hiccoughed. 
"  Glad  to  see  ye  at  last.  Shift  foot  or  finger, 
you  on  the  left,  though,  and  you're  a  dead 
boy.  I  mean  you,  you  greaser !  "  he  roared 
out  at  Raffles.  "  I  know  you.  I've  been 
waitin'  for  you.  I've  been  zvatchin'  you  all 
this  week  !  Plucky  smart  you  thought  yer- 
self,  didn't  you?  One  day  beggin',  next 
time  shammin'  tight,  and  next  one  o'  them 
old  pals  from  Kimberley  what  never  come 
when  I'm  in.  But  you  left  the  same  tracks 
every  day,  you  buggins,  an'  the  same  tracks 
every  night,  all  round  the  blessed  premises." 

"  All  right,  guv'nor,"  drawled  Raffles ; 
"  don't  excite.  It's  a  fair  cop.  We  don't 
sv/eat  to  know  'ow  you  brung  it  orf.  On'y 
don't  you  go  for  to  shoot,  'cos  we  'int 
awmed,  s'help  me  Gord !  " 

"  Ah,  you're  a  knowin'  one,"  said  Rosen- 
thal!, fingering  his  triggers.  "  But  you've 
struck  a  knowin'er." 

"  Ho,  yuss,  we  know  all  abaht  thet !  Set 
a  thief  to  ketch  a  thief — ho,  yuss." 

My  eyes  had  torn  themselves  from  the 
68 


A  Costume  Piece 

round  black  muzzles,  from  the  accursed  dia- 
monds that  had  been  our  snare,  the  pasty 
pig-face  of  the  over-fed  pugilist,  and  the 
flaming  cheeks  and  hook  nose  of  Rosenthall 
himself.  I  was  looking  beyond  them  at  the 
doorway  filled  with  quivering  silk  and  plush, 
black  faces,  white  eye-balls,  woolly  pates. 
But  a  sudden  silence  recalled  my  attention 
to  the  millionaire.  And  only  his  nose  re- 
tained its  colour. 

"  What  d'ye  mean  ?  "  he  whispered  with  a 
hoarse  oath.  "  Spit  it  out,  or,  by  Christ- 
mas, I'll  drill  you !  " 

"  Whort  price  thet  brikewater  ?  "  drawled 
Raffles  coolly. 

"Eh?" 

Rosenthall 's  revolvers  were  describing 
widening  orbits. 

"  Whort  price  thet  brikewater — old  /.  D. 
B.f" 

"  Where  in  hell  did  you  get  hold  o'  that?  " 
asked  Rosenthall,  with  a  rattle  in  his  thick 
neck,  meant  for  mirth. 

"  You  may  well  arst,"  says  Raffles.  "  It's 
all  over  the  plice  w'ere  /  come  from." 

*'  Who  can  have  spread  such  rot  ?  " 
69 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  I  dunno,"  says  Raffles ;  "  arst  the  geii'le- 
man  on  yer  left;  p'raps  V  knows." 

The  gentleman  on  his  left  had  turned 
livid  with  emotion.  Guilty  conscience  nev- 
er declared  itself  in  plainer  terms.  For  a 
moment  his  small  eye?  bulged  like  currants 
in  the  suet  of  his  face ;  the  next,  he  had  pock- 
eted his  pistols  on  a  professional  instinct, 
and  was  upon  us  wath  his  fists. 

"  Out  o'  the  light — out  o'  the  light !  " 
yelled  Rosenthall  in  a  frenzy. 

He  was  too  late.  No  sooner  h&d  the 
burly  pugilist  obstructed  his  fire  than 
Raffles  was  through  the  window  at  a  bound ; 
Vv'hile  I,  for  standing  still  and  saying  noth- 
ing, was  scientifically  felled  to  the  floor. 

I  cannot  have  been  many  moments  with- 
out my  senses.  Wlien  I  recovered  them 
there  was  a  great  to-do  in  the  garden,  but  I 
had  the  drawing-room  to  myself.  I  sat  up. 
Rosenthall  and  Purvis  were  rushing  about 
outside,  cursing  the  Kaffirs  and  nagging  at 
each  other. 

"  Over  that  wall,  I  tell  yer !  " 

"  I  tell  you  it  was  this  one.     Can't  you 
•whistle  for  the  police  ?  " 
70 


A  Costume  Piece 

"  Police  be  damned  !  I've  had  enough  of 
the  blessed  police," 

"  Then  we'd  better  get  back  and  make 
sure  of  the  other  rotter." 

''  Oh,  make  sure  o'  yer  skin.  That's  \Yhat 
you'd  better  do.  Jala,  you  black  hog,  if  I 
catch  you  skulkin'.     .     .     ." 

I  never  heard  the  threat.  I  was  creeping 
from  the  drawing-room  on  my  hands  and 
knees,  my  own  revolver  swinging  by  its 
steel  ring  from  my  teeth. 

For  an  instant  I  thought  that  the  hall  also 
was  deserted.  I  was  wrong,  and  I  crept  up- 
on a  Kaffir  on  all  fours.  Poor  devil,  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  deal  him  a  base  blow, 
but  I  threatened  him  most  hideously  with 
my  revolver,  and  left  the  white  teeth  chat- 
tering in  his  black  head  as  I  took  the  stairs 
three  at  a  time.  Why  I  went  upstairs  in 
that  decisive  fashion,  as  though  it  were  my 
only  course,  I  cannot  explain.  But  garden 
and  ground  floor  seemed  alive  with  men.  and 
I  might  have  done  worse. 

I  turned  into  the  first  room  I  came  to.  It 
was  a  bedroom — empty,  though  lit  up ;  and 
never  shall  I  forget  how  I  started  as  I  en- 
71 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

tered,  on  encountering  the  awful  villain  that 
was  myself  at  full  length  in  a  pier-glass! 
Masked,  armed,  and  ragged,  I  was  indeed 
fit  carrion  for  a  bullet  or  the  hangman,  and 
to  one  or  the  other  I  made  up  my  mind. 
Nevertheless,  I  hid  myself  in  the  wardrobe 
behind  the  mirror ;  and  there  I  stood  shiver- 
ing and  cursing  my  fate,  my  folly,  and 
Raffles  most  of  all— Raffles  first  and  last— 
for  I  daresay  half  an  hour.  Then  the  ward- 
robe door  was  flung  suddenly  open;  they 
had  stolen  into  the  room  without  a  sound; 
and  I  was  hauled  downstairs,  an  ignomin- 
ious captive. 

Gross  scenes  followed  in  the  hall ;  the  la- 
dies were  now  upon  the  stage,  and  at  sight 
of  the  desperate  criminal  they  screamed  with 
one  accord.  In  truth  I  must  have  given 
them  fair  cause,  though  my  mask  was  now 
torn  away  and  hid  nothing  but  my  left  ear. 
Rosenthall  answered  their  shrieks  with  a 
roar  for  silence;  the  woman  with  the  bath- 
sponge  hair  sw^ore  at  him  shrilly  in  return ; 
the  place  became  a  Babel  impossible  to  de- 
scribe. I  remember  wondering  how  long  it 
would  be  before  the  police  appeared.  Pur- 
72 


A  Costume  Piece 

vis  and  the  ladies  were  for  calling  them  in 
and  giving  me  in  charge  without  delay. 
Rosenthall  would  not  hear  of  it.  He  swore 
that  he  would  shoot  man  or  woman  who 
left  his  sight.  He  had  had  enough  of  the 
police.  He  was  not  going  to  have  them 
coming  there  to  spoil  sport ;  he  was  going 
to  deal  with  me  in  his  own  way.  With  that 
he  dragged  me  from  all  other  hands,  flung 
me  against  a  door,  and  sent  a  bullet  crashing 
through  the  wood  within  an  inch  of  my 
ear. 

"  You  drunken  fool !  It'll  be  murder !  " 
shouted  Purvis,  getting  in  the  way  a  second 
time. 

"  Wha'  do  I  care?  He's  armed,  isn't  he? 
I  shot  him  in  self-defence.  It'll  be  a  warn- 
ing to  others.  Will  you  stand  aside,  or 
d'ye  want  it  yourself  ?  " 

"  You're  drunk,"  said  Purvis,  still  be- 
tween us.  "  I  saw  you  take  a  neat  tumbler- 
ful since  you  come  in,  and  it's  made  you 
drunk  as  a  fool.  Pull  yourself  together,  old 
man.  You  ain't  a-going  to  do  what  you'll 
be  sorry  for." 

"  Then  I  won't  shoot  at  him,  I'll  only 
73 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

shoot  roun'  an'  roun'  the  beggar.  You're 
quite  right,  ole  feller.  Wouldn't  hurt  him. 
Great  mishtake.  Roun'  an'  roun'.  There 
—like  that!" 

His  freckled  paw  shot  up  over  Purvis's 
slioulder,  mauve  lightning  came  from  his 
ring,  a  red  flash  from  his  revolver,  and 
shrieks  from  the  women  as  the  reverbera- 
tions died  away.  Some  splinters  lodged  in 
my  hair. 

Next  instant  the  prize-fighter  disarmed 
him;  and  I  was  safe  from  the  devil,  but 
finally  doomed  to  the  deep  sea.  A  police- 
man was  in  our  midst.  He  had  entered 
through  the  drawing-room  window^ ;  he  was 
an  officer  of  few  words  and  creditable 
promptitude.  In  a  twinkling  he  had  the 
handcuffs  on  my  wrists,  while  the  pugilist 
explained  the  situation,  and  his  patron  re- 
viled the  force  and  its  representative  with 
impotent  malignity.  A  fine  watch  they 
kept ;  a  lot  of  good  they  did ;  coming  in  when 
all  was  over  and  the  whole  household  might 
have  been  murdered  in  their  sleep.  The 
officer  only  deigned  to  notice  him  as  he 
marched  me  ofi". 


A  Costume  Piece 

**  We  know  all  about  you,  sir,"  said  he 
contemptuously,  and  he  refused  the  sov- 
ereign Purvis  proffered.  "  You  will  be  see- 
ing me  again,  sir,  at  Marylebone." 

"  Shall  I  come  now  ?  " 

"  As  you  please,  sir.  I  rather  think  the 
other  gentleman  requires  you  more,  and  I 
don't  fancy  this  young  man  means  to  give 
much  trouble." 

"  Oh,  I'm  coming  quietly,"  I  said. 

And  I  went. 

In  silence  we  traversed  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred yards.  It  must  have  been  midnight. 
We  did  not  meet  a  soul.  At  last  I  v.his- 
pered : 

"  How  on  earth  did  you  manage  it  ?  " 

"  Purely  by  luck,"  said  Raffles.  "  I  had 
the  luck  to  get  clear  away  through  knowing 
every  brick  of  those  back-garden  walls,  and 
the  double  luck  to  have  these  togs  with  the 
rest  over  at  Chelsea.  The  helmet  is  one  of 
a  collection  I  made  up  at  Oxford;  here  it 
goes  over  this  wall,  and  we'd  better  carry  the 
coat  and  belt  before  we  meet  a  real  officer. 
I  got  them  once  for  a  fancy  ball — ostensibly 
—and  thereby  hangs  a  yarn.  I  always 
75 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

thought  they  might  come  in  useful  a  sec- 
ond time.  My  chief  crux  to-night  was  get- 
ting rid  of  the  hansom  that  brought  me 
back.  I  sent  him  off  to  Scotland  Yard  with 
ten  bob  and  a  special  message  to  good  old 
Mackenzie.  The  whole  detective  depart- 
ment will  be  at  Rosenthall's  in  about  half 
an  hour.  Of  course,  I  speculated  on  our 
gentleman's  hatred  of  the  police — another 
huge  slice  of  luck.  If  you'd  got  away,  well 
and  good ;  if  not,  I  felt  he  was  the  man 
to  play  with  his  mouse  as  long  as  possible. 
Yes,  Bunny,  it's  been  more  of  a  costume 
piece  than  I  intended,  and  we've  come  out 
of  it  with  a  good  deal  less  credit.  But,  by 
Jove,  we're  jolly  lucky  to  have  come  out  of 
it  at  all!" 


7t 


GENTLEMEN   AND   PLAYERS 

/^LD  Raffles  may  or  may  not  have  been 
^'"^  an  exceptional  criminal,  but  as  a 
cricketer  I  dare  swear  he  was  unique.  Him- 
self a  dangerous  bat,  a  brilliant  field,  and 
perhaps  the  very  finest  slow  bowler  of  his 
decade,  he  took  incredibly  little  interest  in 
the  game  at  large.  He  never  went  up  to 
Lord's  without  his  cricket-bag,  or  showed 
the  slightest  interest  in  the  result  of  a  match 
in  which  he  was  not  himself  engaged.  Nor 
was  this  mere  hateful  egotism  on  his  part. 
He  professed  to  have  lost  all  enthusiasm 
for  the  game,  and  to  keep  it  up  only  from 
the  very  lowest  motives. 

"  Cricket,"  said  Raffles,  "  like  everything 
else,  is  good  enough  sport  until  you  dis- 
cover a  better.  As  a  source  of  excitement 
it  isn't  in  it  with  other  things  you  wot  of, 
Bunny,  and  the  involuntary  comparison  be- 
comes a  bore.  What's  the  satisfaction  of 
77 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

taking  a  man's  wicket  when  you  want  his 
spoons?  Still,  if  you  can  bowl  a  bit  your 
/ow  cunning  won't  get  rusty,  and  always 
looking  for  the  weak  spot's  just  the  kind 
of  mental  exercise  one  wants.  Yes,  per- 
haps there's  some  affinity  between  the  two 
things  after  all.  But  I'd  chuck  up  cricket 
to-morrow,  Bunny,  if  it  wasn't  for  the  glori- 
ous protection  it  affords  a  person  of  my 
proclivities." 

"  How  so?  "  said  I.  "  It  brings  you  be- 
fore the  public.  I  should  have  thought,  far 
more  than  is  either  safe  or  wise." 

"  My  dear  Bunny,  that's  exactly  where 
you  make  a  mistake.  To  follow  Crime  with 
reasonable  impunity  you  simply  must  have 
a  parallel,  ostensible  career — the  more  pub- 
lic the  better.  The  principle  is  obvious. 
Mr,  Peace,  of  pious  memory,  disarmed  sus- 
picion by  acquiring  a  local  reputation  for 
playing  the  fiddle  and  taming  animals,  and 
it's  my  profound  conviction  that  Jack  the 
Ripper  was  a  really  eminent  public  man, 
whose  speeches  were  very  likely  reported 
alongside  his  atrocities.  Fill  the  bill  in 
some  prominent  part,  and  you'll  never  be 
78 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

suspected  of  doubling  it  with  another  of 
equal  prominence.  That's  why  I  want  you 
to  cultivate  journalism,  my  boy,  and  sign 
all  you  can.  And  it's  the  one  and  only 
reason  why  I  don't  burn  my  bats  for  lire- 
wood." 

Nevertheless,  when  he  did  play  there  was 
no  keener  performer  on  the  field,  nor  one 
more  anxious  to  do  well  for  his  side.  I  re- 
member how  he  went  to  the  nets,  before  the 
first  match  of  the  season,  with  his  pocket 
full  of  sovereigns,  which  he  put  on  the 
stumps  instead  of  bails.  It  was  a  sight  to 
see  the  professionals  bowling  like  demons 
for  the  hard  cash,  for  whenever  a  stump 
was  hit  a  pound  was  tossed  to  the  bowler 
and  another  balanced  in  its  stead,  while 
one  man  took  £3  with  a  ball  that  spread- 
eagled  the  wicket.  Raffles's  practice  cost 
him  either  eight  or  nine  sovereigns;  but  he 
had  absolutely  first-class  bowling  all  the 
time ;  and  he  made  fifty-seven  runs  next 
day. 

It  became  my  pleasure  to  accompany 
him  to  all  his  matches,  to  watch  every  ball 
he  bowled,  or  played,  or  fielded,  and  to  sit 
79 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

chatting  with  him  in  the  paviHon  when  he 
was  doing  none  of  these  three  things.  You 
might  have  seen  us  there,  side  by  side,  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  the  Gentlemen's  first 
innings  against  the  Players  (who  had  lost 
the  toss)  on  the  second  Monday  in  July. 
We  were  to  be  seen,  but  not  heard,  for  Raf- 
fles had  failed  to  score,  and  was  uncommon- 
ly cross  for  a  player  who  cared  so  little  for 
the  game.  Merely  taciturn  with  me,  he  was 
positively  rude  to  more  than  one  member 
who  wanted  to  know  how  it  had  happened, 
or  who  ventured  to  commiserate  him  on 
his  luck;  there  he  sat,  with  a  straw  hat  tilted 
over  his  nose  and  a  cigarette  stuck  between 
lips  that  curled  disagreeably  at  every  ad- 
vance. I  was  therefore  much  surprised 
when  a  young  fellow  of  the  exquisite  type 
came  and  squeezed  himself  in  between  us, 
and  met  with  a  perfectly  civil  reception  de- 
spite the  liberty.  I  did  not  know  the  boy 
by  sight,  nor  did  Raffles  introduce  us;  but 
their  conversation  proclaimed  at  once  a 
slightness  of  acquaintanceship  and  a  licence 
on  the  lad's  part  which  combined  to  puzzle 
me.  Mystification  reached  its  height  wheii 
80 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

Raffles  was  informed  that  the  other's  father 
was  anxious  to  meet  him,  and  he  instantly 
consented  to  gratify  that  whim. 

"  He's  in  the  Ladies'  Enclosure.  Will 
you  come  round  now?  " 

"  With  pleasure,"  says  Raffles.  "  Keep  a 
place  for  me,  Bunny." 

And  they  were  gone. 

"  Young  Crowley,"  said  some  voice  fur- 
ther back.    "  Last  year's  Harrow  Eleven." 

"  I  remember  him.  Worst  man  in  the 
team." 

"  Keen  cricketer,  however.  Stopped  till 
he  was  twenty  to  get  his  colours.  Governor 
made  him.  Keen  breed.  Oh,  pretty,  sir! 
Very  pretty!  " 

The  game  was  boring  me.  I  only  came 
to  see  old  Raffles  perform.  Soon  I  was 
looking  wistfully  for  his  return,  and  at 
length  I  saw  him  beckoning  me  from  the 
palings  to  the  right. 

"  Want  to  introduce  you  to  old  Amer- 
steth,"  he  whispered,  when  I  joined  him. 
"  They've  a  cricket  week  next  month,  when 
this  boy  Crowley  comes  of  age,  and  we've 
both  got  to  go  down  and  play." 
8i 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

*'  Both!  "  I  echoed.  "  But  I'm  no  crick- 
eter!" 

"  Shut  up,"  says  Raffles.  "  Leave  that 
to  me.  I've  been  lying  for  all  I'm  worth," 
he  added  sepulchrally  as  we  reached  the 
bottom  of  the  steps.  "  I  trust  to  you  not 
to  give  the  show  away." 

There  was  the  gleam  in  his  eye  that  I 
knew  well  enough  elsewhere,  but  was  un- 
prepared for  in  those  healthy,  sane  sur- 
roundings; and  it  was  with  very  definite 
misgivings  and  surmises  that  I  followed  the 
Zingari  blazer  through  the  vast  flower-bed 
of  hats  and  bonnets  that  bloomed  beneath 
the  ladies'  awning. 

Lord  Amersteth  was  a  fine-looking  man 
with  a  short  moustache  and  a  double  chin. 
He  received  me  with  much  dry  courtesy, 
through  which,  however,  it  was  not  difficult 
to  read  a  less  flattering  tale.  I  was  accepted 
as  the  inevitable  appendage  of  the  invalu- 
able Raffles,  with  whom  I  felt  deeply  in- 
censed as  I  made  my  bow. 

"  I  have  been  bold  enough,"  said  Lord 
Amersteth,  "  to  ask  one  of  the  Gentlemen 
of  England  to  come  down  and  play  some 
82 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

rustic  cricket  for  us  next  month.  He  is  kind 
enough  to  say  that  he  would  have  Hked 
nothing  better,  but  for  this  Httle  fishing  ex- 
pedition of  yours,  Mr. ,  Mr. ,"  and 

Lord  Amersteth  succeeded  in  remembering 
my  name. 

It  was,  of  course,  the  first  I  had  ever 
heai  d  of  that  fishing  expedition,  but  I  made 
haste  to  say  that  it  could  easily,  and  should 
certainly,  be  put  ofi.  Rafifles  gleamed  ap- 
proval through  his  eyelashes.  Lord  Amer- 
steth bowed  and  shrugged. 

"  You're  very  good.  I'm  sure,"  said  he. 
"  But  I  understand  you're  a  cricketer  your- 
self? " 

"  He  was  one  at  school,"  said  Rafiflcs, 
with  infamous  readiness. 

"  Not  a  real  cricketer,"  I  was  stammering 
meanwhile. 

"  In  the  eleven?"  said  Lord  Amersteth. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  said  I. 

"  But  only  just  out  of  it,"  declared  Raf- 
fles, to  my  horror. 

"  Well,  well,  we  can't  all  play  for  the  Gen- 
tlemen," said  Lord  Amerstetli  slyly.  "  ?Nly 
son  Crowley  only  just  scraped  into  the 
8^ 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

eleven  at  Harrow,  and  lie's  going  to  play. 
I  may  even  come  in  myself  at  a  pinch;  so 
you  won't  be  the  only  dufifer,  if  you  are  one, 
and  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  you  will  come 
down  and  help  us  too.  You  shall  flog  a 
stream  before  breakfast  and  after  dinner, 
if  you  like." 

"  I  should  be  very  proud,"  I  was  begin- 
ning, as  the  mere  prelude  to  resolute  ex- 
cuses; but  the  eye  of  Raffles  opened  wide 
upon  me;  and  I  hesitated  weakly,  to  be  duly 
lost. 

"  Then  that's  settled,"  said  Lord  Amer- 
steth,  with  the  slightest  suspicion  of  grim- 
ness.  "  It's  to  be  a  little  week,  you  know, 
when  my  son  comes  of  age.  We  play  the 
Free  Foresters,  the  Dorsetshire  Gentlemen, 
and  probably  some  local  lot  as  well.  But 
Mr.  Raffles  will  tell  you  all  about  it,  and 
Crowley  shall  write.  Another  wicket!  By 
Jove,  they're  all  out!  Then  I  rely  on  you 
both."  And,  with  a  little  nod,  Lord  Amer- 
steth  rose  and  sidled  to  the  gangway. 

Raffles  rose  also,  but  I  caught  the  sleeve 
of  his  blazer. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of? "  I  whis- 
84 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

pered  savagely.  "  I  was  nowhere  near  the 
eleven.  I'm  no  sort  of  cricketer.  I  shah 
have  to  get  out  of  this!  " 

''  Not  you,"  he  whispered  back,  "  You 
needn't  play,  but  come  you  must.  If  you 
wait  for  me  after  half-past  six  I'll  tell  you 
why." 

But  I  could  guess  the  reason;  and  I  am 
ashamed  to  say  that  it  revolted  me  much 
less  than  did  the  notion  of  making  a  public 
fool  of  myself  on  a  cricket-field.  My  gorge 
rose  at  this  as  it  no  longer  rose  at  crime, 
and  it  was  in  no  tranquil  humour  that  I 
strolled  about  the  ground  while  Raffles  dis- 
appeared in  the  pavilion.  Nor  was  my  an- 
noyance lessened  by  a  little  meeting  I  wit- 
nessed between  young  Crowley  and  his 
father,  who  shrugged  as  he  stopped  and 
stooped  to  convey  some  information  whicli 
made  the  young  man  look  a  little  blank. 
It  may  have  been  pure  self-consciousness 
on  my  part,  but  I  could  have  sworn  that  the 
trouble  was  their  inability  to  secure  the  great 
Rafifles  without  his  insignificant  friend. 

Then  the  bell  rang,  and  I  climbed  to  the 
top  of  the  pavilion  to  watch  Raffles  bowL 
85 


The  Amattiir  Cracksman 

No  subtleties  are  lost  up  there;  and  if  ever 
a  bowler  was  full  of  them,  it  was  A.  J.  Raf- 
fles on  this  day,  as,  indeed,  all  the  cricket 
world  remembers.  One  had  not  to  be  a 
cricketer  oneself  to  appreciate  his  perfect 
command  of  pitch  and  break,  his  beautifully 
easy  action,  which  never  varied  with  the 
varying  pace,  his  great  ball  on  the  leg-stum.p 
— his  dropping  head-ball — in  a  word,  the 
infinite  ingenuity  of  that  versatile  attack. 
It  was  no  mere  exhibition  of  athletic  prow- 
ess, it  was  an  intellectual  treat,  and  one 
with  a  special  significance  in  my  eyes.  I 
saw  the  "  affinity  between  the  two  things," 
saw  it  in  that  afternoon's  tireless  warfare 
against  the  flower  of  professional  cricket. 
It  was  not  that  Raffles  took  many  wickets 
for  few  runs;  he  was  too  fine  a  bowler  to 
mind  being  hit;  and  time  was  short,  and 
the  wicket  good.  What  I  admired,  and 
what  I  remember,  was  the  combination  of 
resource  and  cunning,  of  patience  and  pre- 
cision, of  head-work  and  handiwork,  which 
made  every  over  an  artistic  whole.  It  was 
all  so  characteristic  of  that  other  Raffles 
whom  I  alone  knew! 
86 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

"  I  felt  like  bowling  this  afternoon,"  he 
told  me  later  in  the  hansom.  "  With  a 
pitch  to  help  me,  I'd  have  done  something 
big;  as  it  is,  three  for  forty-one,  out  of  the 
four  that  fell,  isn't  so  bad  for  a  slow  bowler 
on  a  plumb  wicket  against  those  fellows. 
But  I  felt  venomous!  Nothing  riles  me 
more  than  being  asked  about  for  my  cricket 
as  though  I  were  a  pro.  myself." 

"  Then  why  on  earth  go?  " 

"  To  punish  them,  and — because  we  shall 
be  jolly  hard  up.  Bunny,  before  the  season's 
over!" 

"  Ah!  "  said  I.    "  I  thought  it  was  that." 

"  Of  course,  it  was  !  It  seems  they're  go- 
ing to  have  the  very  devil  of  a  week  of  it 
— balls — dinner-parties — swagger  house- 
party — general  junketings — and  obviously 
a  houseful  of  diamonds  as  well.  Diamonds 
galore!  As  a  general  rule  nothing  would 
induce  me  to  abuse  my  position  as  a  guest. 
I've  never  done  it,  Bunny.  But  in  this  case 
we're  engaged  like  the  waiters  and  the  band, 
and  by  heaven  we'll  take  our  toll!  Let's 
have  a  quiet  dinner  somewhere  and  talk  it 
over." 

87 


The  Amate   /  Cracksman 

"  It  seems  rather  a  v,i!gar  sort  of  theft." 
I  could  not  help  saying-;  and  to  this,  my 
single  protest,  Raffles  instantly  assented. 

"It  is  a  vulgar  sort,"  said  he;  "but  I 
can't  help  that.  We're  getting  vulgarly 
hard  up  again,  and  there's  an  end  on  't. 
Besides,  these  people  deserve  it,  and  can 
afford  it.  And  don't  you  run  away  with 
the  idea  that  all  will  be  plain  sailing;  noth- 
ing will  be  easier  than  getting  some  stuff, 
and  nothing  harder  than  avoiding  all  sus- 
picion, as,  of  course,  we  must.  We  may 
come  away  with  no  more  than  a  good  work- 
ing plan  of  the  premises.  Who  knows?  In 
any  case  there's  weeks  of  thinking  in  it  for 
you  and  me." 

But  with  those  weeks  I  will  not  weary 
you  further  than  by  remarking  that  the 
"  thinking,"  was  done  entirely  by  Raffles, 
who  did  not  always  trouble  to  communicate 
his  thoughts  to  me.  His  reticence,  how- 
ever, was  no  longer  an  irritant.  I  began  to 
accept  it  as  a  necessary  convention  of  these 
little  enterprises.  And,  after  our  last  ad- 
venture of  the  kind,  more  especially  after  its 
denouement,  my  trust  in  Raffles  was  much 
88 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

too  solid  to  be  shaken  by  a  want  of  trust 
in  me,  which  I  still  believe  to  have  been 
more  the  instinct  of  the  criminal  than  the 
judgment  of  the  man. 

It  was  on  Monday,  the  tenth  of  August, 
that  we  were  due  at  Miichester  Abbey,  Dor- 
set; and  the  beginning  of  the  month  found 
ITS  cruising  about  that  very  county,  with 
fly-rods  actually  in  our  hands.  The  idea 
was  that  we  should  acquire  at  once  a  local 
reputation  as  decent  fishermen,  and  some 
kttowledge  of  the  countryside,  with  a  view 
to  further  and  more  deliberate  operations  in 
the  event  of  an  unprofitable  week.  There 
was  another  idea  which  Raffles  kept  to  him- 
self until  he  had  got  me  down  there.  Then 
one  day  he  produced  a  cricket-ball  in  a 
meadow  we  were  crossing,  and  threw  me 
catches  for  an  hour  together.  More  hours 
be  spent  in  bowling  to  me  on  the  nearest 
green;  and,  if  I  was  never  a  cricketer,  at 
least  I  came  nearer  to  being  one,  by  the 
end  of  that  week,  than  ever  before  or  since. 

Incident    began    early  on  the  Monday. 
We  had  sallied  forth  from  a  desolate  little 
i-unction  within  quite  a  few  miles  of  Milches- 
89 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ter,  had  been  caught  in  a  shower,  had  run 
for  sheker  to  a  wayside  inn.  A  florid,  over- 
dressed man  was  drinking  in  the  parlour, 
and  I  could  have  sworn  it  was  at  the  sight 
of  him  that  Rafifles  recoiled  on  the  threshold, 
and  afterwards  insisted  on  returning  to  the 
station  through  the  rain.  He  assured  me, 
however,  that  the  odour  of  stale  ale  had 
almost  knocked  him  down.  And  I  had  to 
make  what  I  could  of  his  speculative,  dow'n- 
cast  eyes  and  knitted  brows. 

Milchester  Abbey  is  a  grey,  quadrangu- 
lar pile,  deep-set  in  rich  woody  country,  and 
twinkling  with  triple  rows  of  quaint  win- 
dows, every  one  of  which  seemed  alight  as 
we  drove  up  just  in  time  to  dress  for  din- 
ner. The  carriage  had  whirled  us  under  I 
know  not  how  many  triumphal  arches  in 
process  of  construction,  and  past  the  tents 
and  flag-poles  of  a  juicy-looking  cricket- 
field,  on  which  Raffles  undertook  to  bowl 
up  to  his  reputation.  But  the  chief  signs 
of  festival  were  within,  where  we  found  an 
enormous  house-party  assembled,  including 
more  persons  of  pomp,  majesty,  and  domin- 
ion than  I  had  ever  encountered  in  one 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

room  before.    I  confess  I  felt  overpowered. 
Our  errand  and  my  own  pretences  com- 
bined to  rob  me  of  an  address  upon  which 
I   have   sometimes   pkimed   myself;  and   I 
have   a   grim   recollection   of  my   nervous 
relief  when  dinner  was  at  last  announced. 
I  little  knew  what  an  ordeal  it  was  to  prove. 
I  had  taken  in  a  much  less  formidable 
young  lady  than  might  have  fallen  to  my 
lot.     Indeed  I  began  by  blessing  my  good 
fortune  in  this  respect.    Miss  Melhuish  was 
merely  the  rector's  daughter,  and  she  had 
only  been  asked  to  make  an  even  number. 
She  informed  me  of  both  facts  before  the 
soup  reached  us,  and  her  subsequent  con- 
versation was  characterised  by  the  same  en- 
gaging candour.    It  exposed  what  was  little 
short  of  a  mania  for  imparting  information. 
I  had  simply  to  Hsten,  to  nod,  and  to  be 
thankful.    When   I   confessed  to  knowing 
very  few  of  those  present,  even  by  sight, 
my   entertaining  companion   proceeded   to 
tell  me  who  everybody  was,  beginning  on 
my  left  and  working  conscientiously  round 
to  her  right.    This  lasted  quite  a  long  time, 
and  really  interested  me;  but  a  great  deal 
91 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

that  followed  did  not;  and,  obviously  to 
recapture  my  unworthy  attention,  Miss 
Melhuish  suddenly  asked  me,  in  a  sensa- 
tional whisper,  whether  I  could  keep  a  se- 
cret. 

I  said  I  thought  I  might,  whereupon  an- 
other question  followed,  in  still  lower  and 
more  thrilling  accents: 

"  Are  you  afraid  of  burglars?  " 

Burglars!  I  was  roused  at  last.  The 
word  stabbed  me.  I  repeated  it  in  horrified 
query. 

"  So  I've  found  something  to  interest  you 
at  last!"  said  Miss  Mellruish,  in  naive  tri- 
umph. "Yes — burglars!  But  don't  speak 
so  loud!  It's  supposed  to  be  kept  a  great 
secret.    I  really  oughtn't  to  tell  you  at  all!  " 

"  But  what  is  there  to  tell?  "  I  whispered 
with  satisfactory  impatience. 

"You  promise  not  to  speak  of  it?" 

"Of  course!" 

"  Well,  then,  there  are  burglars  in  the 
neighbourhood." 

"  Have  they  committed  any  robberies?  " 

"  Not  yet." 

"  Then  how  do  you  know?  ** 

Q2 


Gentlemen  and  l^layers 

"  They've  been  seen.  In  the  district.  Two 
well-known  London  thieves !  " 

Two!  I  looked  at  Raffles.  I  had  done 
so  often  during  the  evening,  envying  him 
his  high  spirits,  his  iron  nerve,  his  buoyant 
wit,  his  perfect  ease  and  self-possession. 
But  now  I  pitied  him;  through  all  my  own 
terror  and  consternation,  I  pitied  him  as 
he  sat  eating  and  drinking,  and  laughing 
and  talking,  without  a  cloud  of  fear  or  of 
embarrassment  on  his  handsome,  taking, 
daredevil  face.  I  caught  up  my  champagne 
and  emptied  the  glass. 

"Who  has  seen  them?"  I  then  asked 
calmly. 

"  A  detective.  They  were  traced  down 
from  town  a  few  days  ago.  They  are  be- 
lieved to  have  designs  on  the  Abbey!  " 

"  But  why  aren't  they  run  in?  " 

"  Exactly  what  I  asked  papa  on  the  way 
here  this  evening;  he  says  there  is  no  war- 
rant out  against  the  men  at  present,  and 
all  that  can  be  done  is  to  watch  their  move- 
ments." 

"  Oh!  so  they  are  being  watched?" 

"  Yes,  by  a  detective  who  is  down  here 
93 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

on  purpose.  And  I  heard  Lord  Amersteth 
tell  papa  that  they  had  been  seen  this  after- 
noon at  Warbeck  Junction!  " 

The  very  place  where  Raffles  and  I  had 
been  caught  in  the  rain!  Our  stampede 
from  the  inn  was  now  explained;  on  the 
other  hand,  I  was  no  longer  to  be  taken 
by  surprise  by  anything  that  my  compan- 
ion might  have  to  tell  me;  and  I  succeeded 
in  looking  her  in  the  face  with  a  smile. 

"  This  is  really  quite  exciting,  Miss  Mel- 
huish,"  said  I.  "  May  I  ask  how  you  come 
to  know  so  much  about  it?  " 

"  It's  papa,"  was  the  confidential  reply. 
"  Lord  Amersteth  consulted  him,  and  he 
consuhed  me.  But  for  goodness'  sake  don't 
let  it  get  about!  I  can't  think  zvhat  tempted 
me  to  tell  you!  " 

"  You  may  trust  me,  Miss  Melhuish.  But 
— aren't  you  frightened?  " 

Miss  Melhuish  giggled. 

"  Not  a  bit !  They  won't  come  to  the  rec- 
tory. There's  nothing  for  them  there.  But 
look  round  the  table:  look  at  the  diamonds: 
look  at  old  Lady  Melrose's  necklace 
alone!" 

94 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

The  Dowager  Marchioness  of  Melrose 
was  one  of  the  few  persons  whom  it  had 
been  unnecessary  to  point  out  to  me.  She 
sat  on  Lord  Amersteth's  right,  flourishing 
her  ear-trumpet,  and  drinking  champagne 
with  her  usual  notorious  freedom,  as  dissi- 
pated and  kindly  a  dame  as  the  world  has 
ever  seen.  It  was  a  necklace  of  diamonds 
and  sapphires  that  rose  and  fell  about  her 
ample  neck. 

"  They  say  it's  worth  five  thousand 
pounds  at  least,"  continued  my  companion. 
"  Lady  Margaret  told  me  so  this  morning 
(that's  Lady  Margaret  next  your  Mr.  Raf- 
fles, you  knov>-);  and  the  old  dear  zmll  wear 
them  every  night.  Think  what  a  haul  they 
would  be!  No;  we  don't  feel  in  immediate 
danger  at  the  rectory." 

When  the  ladies  rose.  Miss  Melhuish 
bound  me  to  fresh  vows  of  secrecy;  and  left 
me,  I  should  think,  with  some  remorse  for 
her  indiscretion,  but  more  satisfaction  at 
the  importance  which  it  had  undoubtedly 
given  her  in  my  eyes.  The  opinion  may 
smack  of  vanity,  though,  in  reality,  the  very 
springs  of  conversation  reside  in  that  same 
95 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

human,  universal  itch  to  thrill  the  auditor. 
The  peculiarity  of  Miss  Melhuish  was  that 
she  must  be  thrilling  at  all  costs.  And 
thrilling  she  had  surely  been. 

I  spare  you  my  feelings  of  the  next  two 
hours.  1  tried  hard  to  get  a  word  with 
Raffles,  but  again  and  again  I  failed.  In 
the  dining-room  he  and  Crowley  lit  their 
cigarettes  with  the  same  match,  and  had 
their  heads  together  all  the  time.  In  the 
drawing-room  I  had  the  mortification  of 
hearing  him  talk  interminable  nonsense  into 
the  ear-trumpet  of  Lady  Melrose,  whom  he 
knew  in  town.  Lastly,  in  the  billiard-room, 
they  had  a  great  and  lengthy  pool,  while  I 
sat  aloof  and  chafed  more  than  ever  in  the 
company  of  a  very  serious  Scotchman,  whd 
had  arrived  since  dinner,  and  who  would 
talk  of  nothing  but  the  recent  improvements 
in  instantaneous  photography.  He  had  not 
come  to  play  in  the  matches  (he  told  me), 
but  to  obtain  for  Lord  Amersteth  such  a 
series  of  cricket  photographs  as  had  never 
been  taken  before;  whether  as  an  amateur 
or  a  professional  photographer  I  was  un- 
able to  determine.  I  remember,  however, 
96 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

seeking  distraction  in  little  bursts  of  reso- 
lute attention  to  the  conversation  of  this 
bore.  And  so  at  last  the  long  ordeal  ended; 
glasses  were  emptied,  men  said  good-night, 
and  I  followed  Raffles  to  his  room. 

"  It's  all  up!  "  I  gasped,  as  he  turned  up 
the  gas  and  I  shut  the  door.  "  We're  being 
watched.  We've  been  followed  down  from 
towa  There's  a  detective  here  on  the 
spotl" 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  RafHes, 
turning  upon  me  quite  sharply,  but  without 
the  least  dismay.  And  I  told  him  how  I 
knew. 

"  Of  course,"  I  added,  "  it  was  the  fellow 
we  saw  in  the  inn  this  afternoon." 

"  The  detective?  "  said  Raffles.  "  Do  you 
mean  to  say  you  don't  know  a  detective 
when  you  see  one,  Bunny? " 

"  If  that  wasn't  the  fellow,  which  is?  " 

Raffles  shook  his  head. 

"To  think  that  you've  been  talking  to 
him  for  the  last  hour  in  the  billiard-room 
and  couldn't  spot  what  he  wasl  " 

"  The  Scotch  photographer ^* 

I  paused  aghast. 

97 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Scotch  he  is,"  said  Raffles,  "  and  pho- 
tographer he  may  be.  He  is  also  Inspector 
Mackenzie  of  Scotland  Yard — the  very  man 
I  sent  the  message  to  that  night  last  April. 
x\nd  you  couldn't  spot  who  he  was  in  a 
whole  hour!  O  Bunny,  Bunny,  you  were 
never  built  for  crime!  " 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  if  that  was  Mackenzie, 
who  was  the  fellow  you  bolted  from  at  War- 
beck?" 

"  The  man  he's  watching." 

"  But  he's  watching  us!  " 

Raffles  looked  at  rrie  with  a  pitying  eye, 
and  shook  his  head  again  before  handing 
me  his  open  cigarette-case. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  smoking's  for- 
bidden in  one's  bedroom,  but  you'd  better 
take  one  of  these  and  stand  tight,  Bunny, 
because  I'm  going  to  say  something  ofifen- 
sive." 

I  helped  myself  with  a  laugh. 

"  Say  what  you  like,  my  dear  fellow,  if  it 
really  isn't  you  and  I  that  Mackenzie's 
after."' 

''  Well,  then,  it  isn't,  and  it  couldn't  be, 
and  nobody  but  a  born  Bunny  would  sup^ 
98 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

pose  for  a  moment  that  it  was!  Do  you 
seriously  think  he  would  sit  there  and  know- 
ingly watch  his  man  playing  pool  under 
his  nose?  Well,  he  might;  he's  a  cool  hand, 
INIackenzie;  but  I'm  not  cool  enough  to 
win  a  pool  under  such  conditions.  At  least 
I  don't  think  I  am;  it  would  be  interesting 
to  see.  The  situation  wasn't  free  from  strain 
as  it  was,  though  I  knew  he  wasn't  think- 
ing of  us.  Crowley  told  me  all  about  it 
after  dinner,  you  see,  and  then  I'd  seen 
one  of  the  men  for  myself  this  afternoon. 
You  thought  it  was  a  detective  who  made 
me  turn  tail  at  that  inn.  I  really  don't  know 
why  I  didn't  tell  you  at  the  time,  but  it  was 
just  the  opposite.  That  loud,  red-faced 
brute  is  one  of  the  cleverest  thieves  in  Lon- 
don, and  I  once  had  a  drink  with  him  and 
our  mutual  fence.  I  was  an  Eastender  from 
tongue  to  toe  at  the  moment,  but  you  will 
understand  that  I  don't  run  unnecessary 
risks  of  recognition  by  a  brute  like  that." 

"  He's  not  alone,  I  hear." 

"  By  no  means;  there's  at  least  one  other 
man  with  him ;  and  it's  suggested  that  there 
may  be  an  accomplice  here  in  the  house/* 
99 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Did  Lord  Crowley  tell  you  so?  " 

"  Crowley  and  the  champagne  between 
them.  In  confidence,  of  course,  just  as  your 
girl  told  you;  but  even  in  confidence  he 
never  let  on  about  Mackenzie.  He  told  me 
there  was  a  detective  in  the  background,  but 
that  was  all.  Putting  him  up  as  a  guest  is 
evidently  their  big  secret,  to  be  kept  from 
the  other  guests  because  it  might  ofifend 
them,  but  more  particularly  from  the  ser- 
vants whom  he's  here  to  watch.  That's  my 
reading  of  the  situation,  Bunny,  and  you 
will  agree  with  me  that  it's  infinitely  more 
interesting  than  we  could  have  imagined  it 
would  prove." 

"  But  infinitely  more  difficult  for  us," 
said  I,  with  a  sigh  of  pusillanimous  relief. 
"  Our  hands  are  tied  for  this  week,  at  all 
events." 

"  Not  necessarily,  my  dear  Bunny, 
though  I  admit  that  the  chances  are  against 
us.  Yet  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that  either. 
There  are  all  sorts  of  possibilities  in  these 
three-cornered  combinations.  Set  A  to 
watch  B,  and  he  won't  have  an  eye  left  for 
C.     That's  the  obvious    theory,  but  then 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

Mackenzie's  a  very  big  A.  I  should  be 
sorry  to  have  any  boodle  about  me  with 
that  man  in  the  house.  Yet  it  would  be 
great  to  nip  in  between  A  and  B  and  score 
off  them  both  at  once !  It  would  be  worth 
a  risk,  Bunny,  to  do  that;  it  would  be  worth 
risking  something  merely  to  take  on  old 
hands  like  B  and  his  men  at  their  own  old 
game!  Eh,  Bunny?  That  would  be  some- 
thing like  a  match.  Gentlemen  and  Play- 
ers at  single  wicket,  by  Jove!  " 

His  eyes  were  brighter  than  I  had  known 
them  for  many  a  day.  They  shone  with 
the  perverted  enthusiasm  which  was  roused 
in  him  only  by  the  contemplation  of  some 
nev/  audacity.  He  kicked  off  his  shoes  and 
began  pacing  his  room  with  noiseless  rapid- 
ity; not  since  the  night  of  the  Old  Bohe- 
mian dinner  to  Reuben  Rosenthall  had  Raf- 
fles exhibited  such  excitement  in  my  pres- 
ence; and  I  was  not  sorry  at  the  moment 
to  be  reminded  of  the  fiasco  to  which  that 
banquet  had  been  the  prelude. 

"  My  dear  A.  J.,"  said  I  in  his  very  own 
tone,  "  you're  far  too  fond  of  the  uphill 
game;  you  will  eventually  fall  a  victim  to 
loi 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

the  sporting  spirit  and  nothing  else.  Take 
a  lesson  from  our  last  escape,  and  fly  lower 
as  you  value  our  skins.  Study  the  house 
as  much  as  you  like,  but  do — not — go 
and  shove  your  head  into  Mackenzie's 
mouth !  " 

My  wealth  of  metaphor  brought  him  to 
a  standstill,  with  his  cigarette  between  his 
fingers  and  a  grin  beneath  his  shining  eyes. 

"  You're  quite  right.  Bunny.  I  won't.  I 
really  won't.  Yet — you  saw  old  Lady  Mel- 
rose's necklace?  I've  been  wanting  it  for 
years!  But  I'm  not  going  to  play  the  fool; 
honour  bright,  I'm  not;  yet — by  Jove! — to 
get  to  windward  of  the  professors  and 
Mackenzie  too!  It  would  be  a  great  game, 
Bunny,  it  would  be  a  great  game!  " 

"  Well,  you  mustn't  play  it  this  week." 

"  No,  no,  I  won't.  But  I  wonder  how 
the  professors  think  of  going  to  work? 
That's  what  one  wants  to  know.  I  wonder 
if  they've  really  got  an  accomplice  in  the 
house?  How  I  wish  I  knew  their  game! 
But  it's  all  right.  Bunny;  don't  you  be  jeal= 
ous;  it  shall  be  as  you  wish." 

And  with  that  assurance  I  went  ofif  to 

I02 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

my  own  room,  and  so  to  bed  with  an  m- 
credibly  light  heart.  I  had  still  enough  cf 
the  honest  man  in  me  to  welcome  the  post- 
ponement of  our  actual  felonies,  to  dread 
their  performance,  to  deplore  their  neces- 
sity :  which  is  merely  another  way  of  stating 
the  too  patent  fact  that  I  was  an  incom- 
parably weaker  man  than  Raffles,  while 
every  whit  as  wicked.  I  had,  however,  one 
rather  strong  point.  I  possessed  the  gift 
of  dismissing  unpleasant  considerations,  not 
intimately  connected  with  the  passing  mo- 
ment, entirely  from  my  mind.  Through 
the  exercise  of  this  faculty  I  had  lately  been 
living  my  frivolous  life  in  town  with  as 
much  ignoble  enjoyment  as  I  had  derived 
from  it  the  year  before ;  and  similarly,  here 
at  Milchester,  in  the  long-dreaded  cricket 
week,  I  had  after  all  a  quite  excellent  time. 
It  is  true  that  there  were  other  factors 
in  this  pleasing  disappointment.  In  the 
first  place,  mirabUc  dictii,  there  were  one  or 
two  even  greater  dufifers  than  I  on  the  Ab- 
bey cricket  field.  Indeed,  quite  early  in 
the  week,  when  it  was  of  most  value  to  me, 
I   gained  considerable  kudos  for  a  lucky 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

catch;  a  ball,  of  which  I  had  merely  heard 
the  hum,  stuck  fast  in  my  hand,  which  Lord 
Amersteth  himself  grasped  in  public  con- 
gratulation. This  happy  accident  was  not 
to  be  undone  even  by  me,  and,  as  nothing 
succeeds  like  success,  and  the  constant  en- 
couragement of  the  one  great  cricketer  on 
the  field  was  in  itself  an  immense  stimulus, 
I  actually  made  a  run  or  two  in  my  very 
next  innings,  Miss  Melhuish  said  pretty 
things  to  me  that  night  at  the  great  ball 
in  honour  of  Viscount  Crowley's  majority; 
she  also  told  me  that  was  the  night  on  which 
the  robbers  would  assuredly  make  their 
raid,  and  was  full  of  arch  tremors  when  we 
sat  out  in  the  garden,  though  the  entire 
premises  were  illuminated  all  night  long. 
Meanwhile  the  quiet  Scotchman  took 
countless  photographs  by  day,  which  he  de- 
veloped by  night  in  a  dark  room  admirably 
situated  in  the  servants'  part  of  the  house; 
and  it  is  my  firm  belief  that  only  two  of 
his  fellow-guests  knew  Mr.  Clephane  of 
Dundee  for  Inspector  Mackenzie  of  Scot- 
land Yard. 
The  week  was  to  end  with  a  trumpery 
104 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

match  on  the  Saturday,  which  two  or  three 
of  us  intended  abandoning  early  in  order 
to  return  to  town  that  night.  The  match, 
however,  was  never  played.  In  the  small 
hours  of  the  Saturday  morning  a  tragedy 
took  place  at  Milchester  Abbey. 

Let  me  tell  of  the  thing  as  I  saw  and 
heard  it.  My  room  opened  upon  the  cen- 
tral gallery,  and  was  not  even  on  the  same 
floor  as  that  on  which  Raffles — and  I  think 
all  the  other  men — were  quartered.  I  had 
been  put,  in  fact,  into  the  dressing-room  of 
one  of  the  grand  suites,  and  my  too  near 
neighbours  were  old  Lady  Melrose  and  my 
host  and  hostess.  Now,  by  the  Friday  even- 
ing the  actual  festivities  were  at  an  end, 
and,  for  the  first  time  that  week,  I  must 
have  been  sound  asleep  since  midnight, 
when  all  at  once  I  found  myself  sitting  up 
breathless.  A  heavy  thud  had  come  against 
my  door,  and  now  I  heard  hard  breathing 
and  the  dull  stamp  of  muffled  feet. 

"  I've  got  ye,"  muttered  a  voice.  "  It's 
no  use  struggling." 

It  was  the  Scotch  detective,  and  a  new 
fear  turned  me  cold.    There  w^as  no  reply, 
105 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

but  the  hard  breathing  grew  harder  still, 
and  the  muffled  feet  beat  the  floor  to  a 
quicker  measure.  In  sudden  panic  I  sprang 
out  of  bed  and  flung  open  my  door.  A 
light  burnt  low  on  the  landing,  and  by  it  I 
could  see  Mackenzie  swaying  and  stagger- 
ing in  a  silent  tussle  with  some  powerful 
adversary. 

"Hold  this  man!"  he  cried,  as  I  ap- 
peared.   "  Hold  the  rascal!  " 

But  I  stood  like  a  fool  until  the  pair  of 
them  backed  into  me,  when,  with  a  deep 
breath  I  flung  myself  on  the  fellow,  whose 
face  I  had  seen  at  last.  He  was  one  of  the 
footmen  who  waited  at  table;  and  no  sooner 
had  I  pinned  him  than  the  detective  loosed 
his  hold. 

"  Hang  on  to  him,"  he  cried.  "  There's 
more  of  'em  below." 

And  he  went  leaping  down  the  stairs,  as 
other  doors  opened  and  Lord  Amersteth 
and  his  son  appeared  simultaneously  in  their 
pyjamas.  At  that  my  man  ceased  strug- 
gling; but  I  was  still  holding  him  when 
Crowley  turned  up  the  gas. 

"What  the  devil's  all  this?"  asked  Lord 
io6 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

Amersteth,  blinking,    "  Who  was  that  ran 
downstairs?" 

"Mac — Clephane!"  said  I  hastily. 

'''  Aha!  "  said  he,  turning  to  the  footman. 
"  So  you're  the  scoundrel,  are  you?  Well 
done!    Well  done!  Where  was  he  caught?  " 

I  had  no  idea. 

"  Here's  Lady  Melrose's  door  open,"  said 
Crowley.  "  Lady  Melrose !  Lady  Melrose ! " 

"  You  forget  she's  deaf,"  said  Lord  Amer- 
steth.    "Ah!  that'll  be  her  maid." 

An  inner  door  had  opened;  next  instant 
there  was  a  little  shriek,  and  a  white  figure 
gesticulated  on  the  threshold. 

"  Ou  done  est  I'ecrin  de  Madame  la  Mar- 
quise? La  fenetre  est  ouverte.  II  a  dis- 
paru ! " 

"  Window  open  and  jewel-case  gone,  by 
Jove!  "  exclaimed  Lord  Amersteth.  "  Mais 
comment  est  Madame  la  Marquise?  Est- 
elle  bien?" 

"  Oui,  milor.    Elle  dort." 

"  Sleeps  through  it  all,"  said  my  lord. 
"  She's  the  only  one,  then!  " 

"  What    made    IMackenzie — Clephane— 
bolt?"  young  Crowley  asked  me, 
107 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

**  Said  there  were  more  of  them  below." 

"  Why  the  devil  couldn't  you  tell  us  so 
before?"  he  cried,  and  went  leaping  down- 
stairs in  his  turn. 

He  was  followed  by  nearly  all  the  cricket- 
ers, who  now  burst  upon  the  scene  in  a 
body,  only  to  desert  it  for  the  chase.  Ralifles 
was  one  of  them,  and  I  would  gladly  have 
been  another,  had  not  the  footman  chosen 
this  moment  to  hurl  me  from  him,  and  to 
make  a  dash  in  the  direction  from  which 
they  had  come.  Lord  Amersteth  had  him 
in  an  instant;  but  the  fellow  fought  desper- 
ately, and  it  took  the  two  of  us  to  drag  him 
downstairs,  amid  a  terrified  chorus  from 
half-open  doors.  Eventually  we  handed 
him  over  to  two  other  footmen  who  ap- 
peared with  their  nightshirts  tucked  into 
their  trousers,  and  my  host  was  good 
enough  to  compliment  me  as  he  led  the 
way  outside. 

"  I  thought  I  heard  a  shot,"  he  added. 
"Didn't  you?" 

"  I  thought  I  heard  three." 

And  out  we  dashed  into  the  darkness. 

I  remember  how  the  gravel  pricked  my 
1 08 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

feet,  how  the  wet  grass  numbed  them  as 
we  made  for  the  sound  of  voices  on  an  out- 
lying lawn.  So  dark  was  the  night  that 
we  were  in  the  cricketers'  midst  before  we 
saw  the  shimmer  of  their  pyjamas;  and  then 
Lord  Amersteth  almost  trod  on  Mackenzie 
as  he  lay  prostrate  in  the  dew. 

"Who's  this?"  he  cried.  "What  on 
earth's  happened?" 

"  It's  Clephane,"  said  a  man  who  knelt 
over  him.  "  He's  got  a  bullet  in  him  some- 
where." 

"Is  he  alive?" 

"  Barely." 

"Good  God!    Where's  Crowley?  " 

"  Here  I  am,"  called  a  breathless  voice, 
"  It's  no  good,  you  fellows.  There's  noth- 
ing to  show  which  way  they've  gone.  Here's 
Raffles;  he's  chucked  it,  too."  And  they 
ran  up  panting. 

"  Well,  we've  got  one  of  them,  at  all 
events,"  muttered  Lord  Amersteth.  "  The 
next  thing  is  to  get  this  poor  fellow  indoors. 
Take  his  shoulders,  somebody.  Now  his 
middle.  Join  hands  under  him.  All  to- 
gether, now;  that's  the  way.  Poor  fellow  1 
109 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

Poor  fellow!  His  name  isn't  Clephane  at 
all.  He's  a  Scotland  Yard  detective,  down 
here  for  these  very  villains!  " 

Rafifles  was  the  first  to  express  surprise; 
but  he  had  also  been  the  first  to  raise  the 
wounded  man.  Nor  had  any  of  them  a 
stronger  or  more  tender  hand  in  the  slow 
procession  to  the  house.  In  a  little  we 
had  the  senseless  man  stretched  on  a  sofa 
in  the  library.  And  there,  with  ice  on  his 
wound  and  brandy  in  his  throat,  his  eyes 
opened  and  his  lips  moved. 

Lord  Amersteth  bent  down  to  catch  the 
w^ords. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  he ;  "  we've  got  one  of 
them  safe  and  sound.  The  brute  you  col- 
lared upstairs."  Lord  Amersteth  bent 
lower.  "  By  Jove!  Lowered  the  jewel-case 
out  of  the  window,  did  he?  And  they've 
got  clean  away  with  it!  Well,  well!  I  only 
hope  we'll  be  able  to  pull  this  good  fellow 
through.    He's  of?  again." 

An  hour  passed :  the  sun  was  rising. 

It  found  a  dozen  young  fellows  on  the 
settees  in  the  billiard-room,  drinking 
whisky  and  soda-water  in  their  overcoats 
no 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

and  pyjamas,  and  still  talking  excitedly  in 
one  breath.  A  time-table  was  being  passed 
from  hand  to  hand:  the  doctor  was  still  in 
the  library.  At  last  the  door  opened,  and 
Lord  Amersteth  put  in  his  head. 

"  It  isn't  hopeless,"  said  he,  "  but  it's  bad 
enough.    There'll  be  no  cricket  to-day." 

Another  hour,  and  most  of  us  were  on  our 
way  to  catch  the  early  train;  between  us 
we  filled  a  compartment  almost  to  suffoca- 
tion. And  still  we  talked  all  together  of 
the  night's  event;  and  still  I  was  a  little 
hero  in  my  way,  for  having  kept  my  hold 
of  the  one  ruffian  who  had  been  taken;  and 
my  gratification  was  subtle  and  intense. 
Raffies  watched  me  under  lowered  lids.  Not 
a  word  had  we  had  together;  not  a  word 
did  we  have  until  we  had  left  the  others 
at  Paddington,  and  were  skimming  through 
the  streets  in  a  hansom  with  noiseless  tyres 
and  a  tinkling  bell. 

"  Well,  Bunny,"  said  Raffles,  "  so  the  pro- 
fessors have  it,  eh?" 

"  Yes,"  said  I.    "  And  I'm  jolly  glad!  " 

"  That  poor  Mackenzie  has  a  ball  in  his 
chest?  " 

III 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  That  you  and  I  have  been  on  the  de- 
cent side  for  once." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  You're  hopeless,  Bunny,  quite  hopeless! 
I  take  it  you  wouldn't  have  refused  your 
share  if  the  boodle  had  fallen  to  us?  Yet 
you  positively  enjoy  coming  off  second  best 
— for  the  second  time  running!  I  confess, 
however,  that  the  professors'  methods  were 
full  of  interest  to  me.  I,  for  one,  have  prob- 
ably gained  as  much  in  experience  as  I  have 
lost  in  other  things.  That  lowering  the 
jewel-case  out  of  the  window  was  a  very 
simple  and  effective  expedient;  two  of  them 
had  been  waiting  below  for  it  for  hours." 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  saw  them  from  my  own  window, 
which  was  just  above  the  dear  old  lady's. 
I  was  fretting  for  that  necklace  in  particu- 
lar, when  I  went  up  to  turn  in  for  our  last 
night — and  I  happened  to  look  out  of  my 
window.  In  point  of  fact,  I  wanted  to  see 
whether  the  one  below  was  open,  and 
whether  there  was  the  slightest  chance  of 
working  the  oracle  with  my  sheet  for  a  rope. 
Of  course  I  took  the  precaution  of  turning 

112 


/' 


I  saw  them  from  mv  own  window. 


Gentlemen  and  Players 

my  light  off  first,  and  it  was  a  lucky  thing 
I  did.  I  saw  the  pros,  right  down  below, 
and  they  never  saw  me.  I  saw  a  little  tiny 
luminous  disc  just  for  an  instant,  and  then 
again  for  an  instant  a  few  minutes  later. 
Of  course  I  knew  what  it  was,  for  I  have 
my  own  watch-dial  daubed  with  luminous 
paint;  it  makes  a  lantern  of  sorts  when  you 
can  get  no  better.  But  these  fellows  were 
not  using  theirs  as  a  lantern.  They  were 
under  the  old  lady's  window.  They  were 
watching  the  time.  The  whole  thing  was 
arranged  with  their  accomplice  inside.  Set 
a  thief  to  catch  a  thief:  in  a  minute  I  had 
guessed  what  the  whole  thing  proved  to  be." 

"  And  you  did  nothing!  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  w'ent  downstairs  and 
straight  into  Lady  Melrose's  room " 

"You  did?" 

"  Without  a  moment's  hesitation.  To 
save  her  jewels.  And  I  was  prepared  to 
yell  as  much  into  her  ear-trumpet  for  all 
the  house  to  hear.  But  the  dear  lady  is 
too  deaf  and  too  fond  of  her  dinner  to  wake 
easily." 

"Well?" 

Hi 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  She  didn't  stir." 

"  And  yet  you  allowed  the  professors,  as 
you  call  them,  to  take  her  jewels,  case  and 
all!" 

"  All  but  this,"  said  Raffles,  thrusting  his 
fist  into  my  lap.  "  I  would  have  shown  it 
you  before,  but  really,  old  fellow,  your  face 
all  day  has  been  worth  a  fortune  to  the 
firm!" 

And  he  opened  his  fist,  to  shut  it  next  in- 
stant on  the  bunch  of  diamonds  and  of  sap- 
phires that  I  had  last  seen  encircling  the 
neck  of  Lady  Melrose. 


aSs 


LE  PREMIER  PAS 

•yHAT  night  he  told  me  the  story  of  his 
earhest  crime.  Not  since  the  fateful 
morning  of  the  Ides  of  March,  when  he  had 
just  mentioned  it  as  an  unreported  incident 
of  a  certain  cricket  tour,  had  I  succeeded 
in  getting  a  word  out  of  Raffles  on  the  sub- 
ject. It  was  not  for  want  of  trying;  he 
would  shake  his  head,  and  watch  his  cigar- 
ette smoke  thoughtfully ;  a  subtle  look  in  his 
eyes,  half  cynical,  half  wistful,  as  though 
the  decent  honest  days  that  were  no  more 
had  had  their  merits  after  all.  Raffles 
Vvould  plan  a  fresh  enormity,  or  glory  in  the 
last,  with  the  unmitigated  enthusiasm  of  the 
artist.  It  was  impossible  to  imagine  one 
throb  or  twitter  of  compunction  beneath 
those  frankly  egoistic  and  infectious  trans- 
ports. And  yet  the  ghost  of  a  dead  remorse 
seemed  still  to  visit  him  with  the  memory 
of  his  first  felony,  so  that  I  had  given  the 
OS 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

story  lip  long  before  the  night  of  our  return 
from  Milchester.  Cricket,  however,  was  in 
the  air,  and  Raffles's  cricket-bag  back  where 
ne  sometimes  kept  it,  in  the  fender,  with  the 
remains  of  an  Orient  label  still  adhering 
to  the  leather.  My  eyes  had  been  on  this 
label  for  some  time,  and  I  suppose  his  eyes 
had  been  on  mine,  for  all  at  once  he  asked 
me  if  I  still  burned  to  hear  that  yarn. 

"  It's  no  use,"  I  replied.  "  You  won't 
spin  it.     I  must  imagine  it  for  myself." 

"  How  can  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  begin  to  know  your  methods." 

"  You  take  it  I  went  in  with  my  eyes 
open,  as  I  do  now,  eh  ?  " 

"  I  can't  imagine  your  doing  otherwise.'* 

"  My  dear  Bunny,  it  was  the  most  unpre- 
meditated thing  I  ever  did  in  my  life !  " 

His  chair  wheeled  back  into  the  books  as 
he  sprang  up  with  sudden  energy.  There 
was  quite  an  indignant  glitter  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  can't  believe  that,"  said  I  craftily.  "  I 
can't  pay  you  such  a  poor  compliment !  " 

"  Then  you  must  be  a  fool " 

He  broke  off,  stared  hard  at  me,  and  in 
a  trice  stood  smiling  in  his  own  despite. 
ii6 


Le  Premier  Pas 

*'  Or  a  better  knave  than  I  thought  you, 
Bunny,  and  by  Jove  it's  the  knave!  Well 
— I  suppose  I'm  fairly  drawn;  I  give  you 
best,  as  they  say  out  there.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  I've  been  thinking  of  the  thing  my- 
self ;  last  night's  racket  reminds  me  of  it  in 
one  or  two  respects.  I  tell  you  what, 
though,  this  is  an  occasion  in  any  case,  and 
I'm  going  to  celebrate  it  by  breaking  the 
one  good  rule  of  my  life.  I'm  going  to 
have  a  second  drink !  " 

The  whisky  tinkled,  the  syphon  fizzed,  the 
ice  plopped  home;  and  seated  there  in  his 
pyjamas,  with  the  inevitable  cigarette, 
Raffles  told  me  the  story  that  I  had  given 
up  hoping  to  hear.  The  windows  were 
wide  open ;  the  sounds  of  Piccadilly  floated 
in  at  first.  Long  before  he  finished,  the 
last  wheels  had  rattled,  the  last  brawler  was 
removed,  we  alone  broke  the  quiet  of  the 
summer  night. 

"...    No,  they  do  you  very  well,  in- 
deed.   You  pay  for  nothing  but  drinks,  so 
to  speak,  but  I'm  afraid  mine  were  of  a  com- 
prehensive character.    I  had  started  in  a 
117 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

hole,  I  ought  really  to  have  refused  the 
invitation;  then  we  all  went  to  the  Mel- 
bourne Cup,  and  I  had  the  certain  winner 
that  didn't  win,  and   that's  not  the  only 
way  you  can  play  the  fool  in  Melbourne.     I 
wasn't  the  steady  old  stager   I   am  now, 
Bunny;  my  analysis  Avas  a  confession  in 
itself.  But  the  others  didn't  know  how  hard 
up  I  was,  and  I  swore  they  shouldn't.     I 
tried  the  Jews,  but  they're  extra  fly  out 
there.     Then  I  thought  of  a  kinsman  of 
sorts,  a  second  cousin  of  my  father's  whom 
none  of  us  knew  anything  about,  except  that 
he  was  supposed  to  be  in  one  or  other  of  the 
Colonies.     If  he  was  a  rich  man,  well  and 
good,  I  would  work  him ;  if  not  there  would 
be  no  harm  done.     I  tried  to  get  on  his 
tracks,  and,  as  luck  would  have  it,  I  suc- 
ceeded (or  thought  I  had)  at  the  very  mo- 
ment when  I  happened  to  have  a  few  days 
to  myself.     I  was  cut  over  on  the  hand, 
just  before  the  big  Christmas  match,  and 
couldn't  have  bowled  a  ball  if  they  had 
played  me. 

"  The  surgeon  who  fixed  me  up  hap- 
pened to  ask  me  if  I  was  any  relation  of 
ii8 


Le  Premier  Pas 

Raffles  of  the  National  Bank,  and  the  pure 
luck  of  it  almost  took  my  breath  away.    A 
relation  who  was  a  high  official  in  one  of 
the  banks,  who  would  finance  me  on  my 
mere  name — could  anything  be  better?     I 
made  up  my  mind  that  this  Raffles  was  the 
man  I  wanted,  and  was  awfully  sold  to  find 
next  moment  that  he  wasn't  a  high  official 
at  all.     Nor  had  the  doctor  so  much  as  met 
him,  but  had  merely  read  of  him  in  con- 
nection with  a  small  sensation  at  the  suburb- 
an branch  which  my  namesake  managed  ;  an 
armed  robber  had  been  rather  pluckily  beat- 
en off,  with  a  bullet  in  him,  by  this  Raffles ; 
and  the  sort  of  thing  was  so  common  out 
there  that  this  was  the  first  I  had  heard  of 
it!     A  suburban  branch — my  financier  had 
faded   into   some   excellent   fellow   with   a 
billet  to  lose  if  he  called  his  soul  his  own. 
Still  a  manager  was  a  manager,  and  I  said 
I  would  soon  see  whether  this  was  the  rela- 
tive I  was  looking  for,  if  he  would  be  good 
enough  to  give  me  the  name  of  that  branch. 
"  '  ril  do  more,'  says  the  doctor.     '  I'll 
get  you  the  name  of  the  branch  he's  been 
promoted  to,   for  I  think  I  heard  they'd 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

moved  him  up  one  already.'  And  the  next 
day  he  brought  me  the  name  of  the  township 
of  Yea,  some  fifty  miles  north  of  Mel- 
bourne; but,  with  the  vagueness  which 
characterised  all  his  information,  he  was 
unable  to  say  whether  I  should  find  my 
relative  there  or  not. 

'* '  He's  a  single  man,  and  his  initials  are 
W.  F.,'  said  the  doctor,  who  was  certain 
enough  of  the  immaterial  points.  '  He  left 
his  old  post  several  days  ago,  but  it  appears 
he's  not  due  at  the  new  one  till  the  New 
Year.  No  doubt  hell  go  before  then  to 
take  things  over  and  settle  in.  You  might 
find  him  up  there  and  you  might  not.  If  I 
were  you  I  should  write.' 

"  *  That'll  lose  two  days,'  said  I,  '  and 
more  if  he  isn't  there,'  for  I'd  grown  quite 
keen  on  this  up-country  manager,  and  I  felt 
til  at  if  I  could  get  at  him  while  the  holidays 
were  still  on,  a  little  conviviality  might  help 
matters  considerably. 

"  '  Then,'  said  the  doctor,  '  I  should  get  a 
quiet  horse  and  ride.  You  needn't  use  that 
hand.' 

'"Can't  I  go  by  train?* 
120 


Le  Premier  Pas 

" '  You  can  and  you  can't.  You  would 
still  have  to  ride.  I  suppose  you're  a  horse- 
man? ' 

" '  Yes.' 

'"Then  I  should  certainly  ride  all  the 
way.  It's  a  delightful  road,  through  Whit- 
tlesea  and  over  the  Plenty  Ranges.  It'll 
give  you  some  idea  of  the  bush,  Mr.  Raffles, 
and  you'll  see  the  sources  of  the  water  sup- 
ply of  this  city,  sir.  You'll  see  where  every 
drop  of  it  comes  from,  the  pure  Yan  Yean  1 
I  wish  I  had  time  to  ride  with  you.' 

"  '  But  where  can  I  get  a  horse?* 

"  The  doctor  thought  a  moment. 

*' '  I've  a  mare  of  my  own  that's  as  fat 
as  butter  for  want  of  work,'  said  he.  *  It 
would  be  a  charity  to  me  to  sit  on  her  back 
for  a  hundred  miles  or  so,  and  then  I 
should  know  you'd  have  no  temptation  to 
use  that  hand.' 

•' '  You're  far  too  good ! '  I  protested. 

" '  You're  A.  J.  Raffles,'  he  said. 

"  And  if  ever  there  was  a  prettier  compli- 
ment, or  a  finer  instance  of  even  Colonial 
hospitality,  I  can  only  say,  Bunny,  that  I 
never  heard  of  either." 

121 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

He  sipped  his  whisky,  threw  away  tlie 
stump  of  his  cigarette,  and  lit  another  be- 
fore continuing. 

"  Well,  I  managed  to  write  a  line  to  W. 
F.  W'ith  my  own  hand,  which,  as  you  will 
gather,  was  not  very  badly  wounded;  it 
was  simply  this  third  finger  that  was  split 
and  in  splints ;  and  next  morning  the  doctor 
packed  me  off  on  a  bovine  beast  that  would 
have  done  for  an  ambulance.  Half  the 
team  came  up  to  see  me  start ;  the  rest  were 
rather  sick  with  me  for  not  stopping  to 
see  the  match  out,  as  if  I  could  help  them 
to  win  by  watching  them.  They  little  knew 
the  game  I'd  got  on  myself,  but  still  less 
did  I  know  the  game  I  was  going  to  play. 

"  It  was  an  interesting  ride  enough,  espe- 
cially after  passing  the  place  called  Whit- 
tlesea,  a  real  wild  township  on  the  lower 
slope  of  the  ranges,  where  I  recollect  hav- 
ing a  deadly  meal  of  hot  mutton  and  tea, 
with  the  thermometer  at  three  figures  in 
the  shade.  The  first  thirty  miles  or  so  was 
a  good  metal  road,  too  good  to  go  half 
round  the  world  to  ride  on,  but  after  Whit* 


Le  Premier  Pas 

tlesea  it  was  a  mere  track  over  the  ranges, 
a  track  I  often  couldn't  see  and  left  entirely 
to  the  mare.  Now  it  dipped  into  a  gully 
and  ran  through  a  creek,  and  all  the  time 
the  local  colour  was  inches  thick:  gum- 
trees  galore  and  parrots  all  colours  of  the 
rainbow.  In  one  place  a  whole  forest  of 
gums  had  been  ring-barked, and  were  just  as 
though  they  had  been  painted  white,  with- 
out a  leaf  or  a  living  thing  for  miles.  And 
the  first  living  thing  I  did  meet  was  the  sort 
to  give  you  the  creeps ;  it  was  a  riderless 
horse  coming  full  tilt  through  the  bush,  with 
the  saddle  twisted  round  and  the  stirrup- 
irons  ringing.  Without  thinking,  I  had  a 
shot  at  heading  him  with  the  doctor's  mare, 
and  blocked  him  just  enough  to  allow  a 
man  who  came  galloping  after  to  do  the 
rest. 

"  *  Thank  ye,  mister,'  growled  the  man,  a 
huge  chap  in  a  red  checked  shirt,  with  a 
beard  like  \Y.  G.  Grace,  but  the  very  devil 
of  an  expression. 

"  *  Been  an  accident? '  said  I,  reining  up. 

" '  Yes,'  said  he,  scowling  as  though  he 
defied  me  to  ask  any  more. 
123 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

" '  And  a  nasty  one,'  I  said,  '  if  that's 
blood  on  the  saddle ! ' 

"  Well,  Bunny,  I  may  be  a  blackguard 
myself,  but  I  don't  think  I  ever  looked  at  a 
fellow  as  that  chap  looked  at  me.  But  I 
stared  him  out,  and  forced  him  to  admit 
that  it  was  blood  on  the  twisted  saddle,  and 
after  that  he  became  quite  tame.  He  told 
me  exactly  what  had  happened,  A  mate  of 
his  had  been  dragged  under  a  branch,  and 
had  his  nose  smashed,  but  that  was  all ;  had 
sat  tight  after  it  till  he  dropped  from  loss 
of  blood ;  another  mate  was  with  him  back 
in  the  bush. 

"  As  I've  said  already,  Bunny,  I  wasn't 
the  old  stager  that  I  am  now — in  any  respect 
— and  we  parted  good  enough  friends.  He 
asked  me  which  way  I  was  going,  and. 
when  I  told  him,  he  said  I  should  save 
seven  miles,  and  get  a  good  hour  earlier 
to  Yea,  by  striking  off  the  track  and  making 
for  a  peak  that  we  could  see  through  the 
trees,  and  following  a  creek  that  I  should 
see  from  the  peak.  Don't  smile,  Bunny !  I 
began  by  saying  I  was  a  child  in  those  days. 
Of  course,  the  short  cut  was  the  long  way 
124 


Le  Premier  Pas 

round;  and  it  was  nearly  dark  when  that 
unlucky  mare  and  I  saw  the  single  street  of 
Yea. 

"  I  was  looking  for  the  bank  when  a  fel- 
low in  a  white  suit  ran  down  from  a  veran- 
dah. 

"'Mr.  Raffles?'  said  he. 

"  '  Mr.  Raffles ! '  said  I,  laughing  as  I 
shook  his  hand. 

"  '  You're  late.' 

"  '  I  was  misdirected.' 

"'That  all?  I'm  relieved,'  he  said. 
'  Do  you  know  what  they  are  saying  ? 
There  are  some  brand-new  bushrangers  on 
the  road  between  Whittlesea  and  this — a 
second  Kelly  gang!  They'd  have  caught 
a  Tartar  in  you,  eh  ?  ' 

"  '  They  would  in  you,'  I  retorted,  and 
my  til  quoque  shut  him  up  and  seemed  to 
puzzle  him.  Yet  there  was  much  more 
sense  in  it  than  in  his  compliment  to  me, 
which  was  absolutely  pointless. 

" '  I'm  afraid  you'll  find  things  pretty 
rough,'  he  resumed,  when  he  had  un- 
strapped my  valise,  and  handed  my  reins  to 
his  man.  *  It's  lucky  you're  a  bachelor  like 
myself.' 

!25 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  I  could  not  quite  see  the  point  of  this 
remark  either,  since,  had  I  been  married,  I 
should  hardly  have  sprung  my  wife  upon 
him  in  this  free-and-easy  fashion.  I  muttered 
the  conventional  sort  of  thing,  and  then  he 
said  I  should  find  it  all  right  when  I  settled, 
as  though  I  had  come  to  graze  upon  him  for 
weeks !  '  Well,'  thought  I,  '  these  Colonials 
do  take  the  cake  for  hospitality ! '  And, 
still  marvelling,  I  let  him  lead  me  into  the 
private  part  of  the  bank. 

"  '  Dinner  will  be  ready  in  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,'  said  he  as  we  entered.  *  I  thought 
you  might  like  a  tub  first,  and  you'll  find 
all  ready  in  the  room  at  the  end  of  the 
passage.  Sing  out  if  there's  anything  you 
want.  Your  luggage  hasn't  turned  up  yet, 
by  the  way,  but  here's  a  letter  that  came 
this  morning.' 

Not  for  me  ? ' 

Yes;  didn't  you  expect  one?' 

I  certainly  did  not ! ' 

Well,  here  it  is.' 
"  And,  as  he  lit  me  to  my  room,  I  read 
my  own  superscription  of  the  previous  day 
— to  W.F.  Raffles! 

126 


Le  Premier  Pas 

"  Bunny,  you've  had  your  wind  bagged 
at  footer,  I  daresay;  you  know  what  that's 
like?  All  I  can  say  is  that  my  moral  wind 
was  bagged  by  that  letter  as  I  hope,  old 
chap,  I  have  never  yet  bagged  yours.  I 
couldn't  speak.  I  could  only  stand  with 
my  own  letter  in  my  hands  until  he  bad  the 
good  taste  to  leave  me  by  myself. 

"W.  F.  Raffles!  We  had  mistaken 
each  other  for  W.  F.  Raffles — for  the  new 
manager  who  had  not  yet  arrived!  Small 
wonder  we  had  conversed  at  cross-pur- 
poses ;  the  only  wonder  was  that  we  had  not 
discovered  our  mutual  mistake.  How  the 
other  man  would  have  laughed!  But  I — 
I  could  not  laugh.  By  Jove,  no,  it  was  no 
laughing  matter  for  me !  I  saw  the  whole 
thing  in  a  flash,  without  a  tremor,  but  with 
the  direst  depression  from  my  own  single 
point  of  view.  Call  it  callous  if  you  like. 
Bunny,  but  remember  that  I  was  in  much 
the  same  hole  as  you've  since  been  in  your- 
self, and  that  I  had  counted  on  this  W.  F. 
Raffles  even  as  you  counted  on  A.  J.  I 
thought  of  the  man  with  the  W.  G.  beard — 
the  riderless  horse  with  the  bloody  saddle — 
127 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

the  deliberate  misdirection  that  had  put  me 
off  the  track  and  out  of  the  way — and  now 
the  missing  manager  and  the  report  of  bush- 
rangers at  this  end.  But  I  simply  don't 
pretend  to  have  felt  any  personal  pity  for 
a  man  whom  I  had  never  seen ;  that  kind  of 
pity's  usually  cant;  and  besides,  all  mine 
was  needed  for  myself. 

"  I  was  in  as  big  a  hole  as  ever.  What 
the  devil  was  I  to  do?  I  doubt  if  I  have 
sufficiently  impressed  upon  you  the  absolute 
necessity  of  my  returning  to  Melbourne  in 
funds.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  less  the 
necessity  than  my  own  determination  which 
I  can  truthfully  describe  as  absolute. 

"  Money  I  would  have — but  how — but 
how  ?  Would  this  stranger  be  open  to  per- 
suasion— if  I  told  him  the  truth?  No;  that 
would  set  us  all  scouring  the  country  for 
the  rest  of  the  night.  Why  should  I  tell 
him?  Suppose  I  left  him  to  find  out  his 
mistake  .  .  .  would  anything  be 
gained?  Bunny,  I  give  you  my  word  that 
I  went  in  to  dinner  without  a  definite  in- 
tention in  my  head,  or  one  premeditated  lie 
upon  my  lips.  I  might  do  the  decent  nat- 
128 


Le  Premier  Pas 

ural  thing,  and  explain  matters  without  loss 
of  time;  on  the  other  hand,  there  was  no 
hurry.  I  had  not  opened  the  letter,  and 
could  always  pretend  I  had  not  noticed  the 
initials;  meanwhile  something  might  turn 
up.  I  could  wait  a  little  and  see.  Tempted 
I  already  was,  but  as  yet  the  temptation 
w-as  vague,  and  its  very  vagueness  made 
me  tremble. 

"'Bad  news,  I'm  afraid?'  said  the 
manager,  when  at  last  I  sat  down  at  his 
table. 

'"A  mere  annoyance,'  I  answered — I  do 
assure  you — on  the  spur  of  the  moment  and 
nothing  else.  But  my  lie  was  told ;  my  po- 
sition was  taken ;  from  that  moment  onward 
there  was  no  retreat.  By  implication,  with- 
out realising  what  I  was  doing,  I  had  al- 
ready declared  myself  W.  F.  Raffles. 
Therefore,  W.  F.  Raffles  I  would  be,  in  that 
bank,  for  that  night.  And  the  devil  teach 
me  how  to  use  my  lie !  " 

Again  he  raised  his  glass  to  his  lips — I 
had  forgotten  mine.  His  cigarette-case 
caught  the  gaslight  as  he  handed  it  to  me. 

T20 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  shook  my  head  without  taking  my  eyes 
from  his. 

"  The  devil  played  up,"  continued  Raffles, 
with  a  laugh.  "  Before  I  tasted  my  soup  I 
had  decided  what  to  do.  I  had  determined 
to  rob  that  bank  instead  of  going  to  bed, 
and  to  be  back  in  Melbourne  for  breakfast 
if  the  doctor's  mare  could  do  it.  I  would 
tell  the  old  fellow  that  I  had  missed  my 
way  and  been  bushed  for  hours,  as  I  easily 
might  have  been,  and  had  never  got  to  Yea 
at  all.  At  Yea,  on  the  other  hand,  the  per- 
sonation and  robbery  would  ever  after  be 
attributed  to  a  member  of  the  gang  that 
had  waylaid  and  murdered  the  new  manager 
with  that  very  object.  You  are  acquiring 
some  experience  in  such  matters.  Bunny.  I 
ask  you,  was  there  ever  a  better  get-out? 
Last  night's  was  something  like  it,  only 
never  such  a  certainty.  And  I  saw  it  from 
the  beginning — saw  to  the  end  before  I  had 
finished  my  soup ! 

'*  To  increase  my  chances,  the  cashier, 
who  also  lived  in  the  bank,  was  away  over 
the  holidays,  had  actually  gone  down  to  Mel- 
bourne to  see  us  play;  and  the  man  who 
130 


Le  Premier  Fas 

had  taken  my  horse  also  waited  at  table; 
for  he  and  his  wife  were  the  only  servants, 
and  they  slept  in  a  separate  building.  You 
may  depend  I  ascertained  this  before  we 
had  finished  dinner.  Indeed  I  was  by  way 
of  asking  too  many  questions  (the  most 
oblique  and  delicate  was  that  which  elicited 
my  host's  name,  Ewbank),  nor  was  I  care- 
ful enough  to  conceal  their  drift. 

"  *  Do  you  know,'  said  this  fellow  Ew- 
bank, who  was  one  of  the  downright  sort, 
*  if  it  wasn't  you,  I  should  say  you  were  in 
a  funk  of  robbers?  Have  you  lost  your 
nerve  ? ' 

"  '  I  hope  not,'  said  I,  turning  jolly  hot,  I 
can  tell  you ;  '  but— well,  it's  not  a  pleasant 
thing  to  have  to  put  a  bullet  through  a  fel- 
low!' 

"  '  No?  '  said  he,  coolly.  '  I  should  enjoy 
nothing  better,  myself;  besides,  yours 
didn't  go  through.' 

"  '  I  wish  it  had ! '  I  was  smart  enough  to 
cry. 

"  '  Amen ! '  said  he. 

"  And  I  emptied  my  glass ;  actually  I  did 
not  know  whether  my  wounded  bank-robber 
was  in  prison,  dead,  or  at  large ! 
131 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  But,  now  that  I  had  had  more  than 
enough  of  it,  Ewbank  would  come  back  to 
the  subject.  He  admitted  that  the  staff  was 
small ;  but  as  for  himself,  he  had  a  loaded 
revolver  under  his  pillow  all  night,  under 
the  counter  all  day,  and  he  was  only  waiting 
for  his  chance. 

"  *  Under  the  counter,  eh  ? '  I  was  ass 
enough  to  say. 

"  '  Yes ;  so  had  you ! ' 

"  He  was  looking  at  me  in  surprise,  and 
something  told  me  that  to  say  *  of  course — I 
had  forgotten ! '  would  have  been  quite  fatal, 
considering  what  I  was  supposed  to  have 
done.  So  I  looked  down  my  nose  and 
shook  my  head. 

"  '  But  the  papers  said  you  had ! '  he  cried. 

"  '  Not  under  the  counter,'  said  I. 

'-' '  But  it's  the  regulation ! ' 

"  For  the  moment,  Bunny,  I  felt  stumped, 
though  I  trust  I  only  looked  more  superior 
than  before,  and  I  think  I  justified  my  look. 
.  "  *  The  regulation  ! '  I  said  at  length,  in 
the  most  offensive  tone  at  my  command. 
'  Yes,  the  regulation  would  have  us  all  dead 
men!  My  dear  sir,  do  you  expect  your 
132 


Le  Premier  Pas 

bank-robber  to  let  you  reach  for  your  gun 
in  the  place  where  he  knows  it's  kept?  I 
had  mine  in  my  pocket,  and  I  got  my  chance 
by  retreating  from  the  counter  with  all  visi- 
ble reluctance.' 

"  Ewbank  stared  at  me  with  open  eyes 
and  a  five-barred  forehead,  then  down  came 
his  fist  on  the  table. 

"  *  By  God !  that  was  smart !  Still,'  he 
added,  like  a  man  who  would  not  be  in  the 
wrong,  '  the  papers  said  the  other  thing,  you 
know ! ' 

"  *  Of  course/  I  rejoined,  '  because  they 
said  what  I  told  them.  You  wouldn't  have 
had  me  advertise  the  fact  that  I  improved 
upon  the  bank's  regulations,  would  you  ? ' 

"  So  that  cloud  rolled  over,  and  by  Jove 
it  was  a  cloud  with  a  golden  lining!  Not 
silver — real  good  Australian  gold !  For  old 
Ewbank  hadn't  quite  appreciated  me  till 
then ;  he  was  a  hard  nut,  a  much  older  man 
than  myself,  and  I  felt  pretty  sure  he 
thought  me  young  for  the  place,  and  my 
supposed  feat  a  fluke.  But  I  never  saw  a 
man  change  his  mind  more  openly.  He  got 
out  his  best  brandy,  he  made  me  throw  away 
^33 


The  Amateur  Cracksmar, 

the  cigar  I  was  smoking,  and  opened  a 
fresh  box.  He  was  a  convivial-looking 
party,  with  a  red  moustache,  and  a  very 
humorous  face  (not  unlike  Tom  Emmett's), 
and  from  that  moment  I  laid  myself  out  to 
attack  him  on  his  convivial  flank.  But  he 
wasn't  a  Rosenthall,  Bunny ;  he  had  a  treble- 
seamed,  hand-sewn  head,  and  could  have 
drunk  me  under  the  table  ten  times  over. 

"  '  All  right,'  I  thought,  '  you  may  go  to 
bed  sober,  but  you'll  sleep  like  a  timber- 
yard  ! '  And  I  threw  half  he  gave  me 
through  the  open  window,  when  he  wasn't 
looking. 

"  But  he  was  a  good  chap,  Ewbank,  and 
don't  you  imagine  he  was  at  all  intemperate. 
Convivial  I  called  him,  and  I  only  wish  he 
had  been  something  more.  He  did,  how- 
ever, become  more  and  more  genial  as  the 
evening  advanced,  and  I  had  not  much  diffi- 
culty in  getting  him  to  show  me  round 
the  bank  at  what  was  really  an  unearthly 
hour  for  such  a  proceeding.  It  was  when 
he  went  to  fetch  the  revolver  before  turning 
in.  I  kept  him  out  of  his  bed  another 
twenty  minutes,  and  I  knew  every  inch  of 
134 


Le  Premier  Pas 

the  business  premises  before  I  shook  hands 
with  Ewbank  in  my  room. 

"  You  won't  guess  what  I  did  with  my- 
self for  the  next  hour.  I  undressed  and 
went  to  bed.  The  incessant  strain  involved 
in  even  the  most  deliberate  impersonation  is 
the  most  wearing  thing  I  know ;  then  how- 
much  more  so  when  the  impersonation  is 
impromptu!  There's  no  getting  your  eye 
in;  the  next  word  may  bowl  you  out;  it's 
batting  in  a  bad  light  all  through.  I 
haven't  told  you  of  half  the  tight  places  I 
was  in  during  a  conversation  that  ran  into 
hours  and  became  dangerously  intimate*  to- 
wards the  end.  You  can  imagine  them  for 
yourself,  and  then  picture  me  spread  out 
on  my  bed,  getting  my  second  wind  for  the 
big  deed  of  the  night. 

"  Once  more  I  was  in  luck,  for  I  had  rfot 
been  lying  there  long  before  I  heard  my 
dear  Ewbank  snoring  like  a  harmonium, 
and  the  music  never  ceased  for  a  moment ; 
it  was  as  loud  as  ever  when  I  crept  out  and 
closed  my  door  behind  me,  as  regular  as 
ever  when  I  stopped  to  listen  at  his.  And 
I  have  still  to  hear  the  concert  that  I  shall 
135 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

enjoy  much  more.  The  good  fellow  snored 
me  out  of  the  bank,  and  was  still  snoring 
when  I  again  stood  and  listened  under  his 
open  window. 

"  Why  did  I  leave  tlie  bank  first  ?  To 
catch  and  saddle  the  mare  and  tether  her 
in  a  clump  of  trees  close  by:  to  have  the 
means  of  escape  nice  and  handy  before  I 
went  to  work.  I  have  often  wondered  at 
the  instinctive  wisdom  of  the  precaution; 
unconsciously  I  was  acting  on  what  has 
been  one  of  my  guiding  principles  ever 
since.  Pains  and  patience  were  required : 
I  had  to  get  my  saddle  without  waking  the 
man,  and  I  was  not  used  to  catching  horses 
in  a  horse-paddock.  Then  I  distrusted  the 
poor  mare,  and  I  went  back  to  the  stables 
for  a  hatful  of  oats,  which  I  left  with  her 
in  the  clump,  hat  and  all.  There  was  a 
dog,  too,  to  reckon  with  (our  very  worst 
enemy,  Bunny) ;  but  I  had  been  'cute  enough 
to  make  immense  friends  with  him  during 
the  evening;  and  he  wagged  his  tail,  not 
only  when  I  came  downstairs,  but  when  I 
reappeared  at  the  back-door. 

"  As  the  soi-disant  new  manager,  I  had 
136 


Le  Premier  Pas 

been  able,  in  the  most  ordinary  course,  to 
pump  poor  Ewbank  about  anything  and 
everything  connected  with  the  working  of 
the  bank,  especially  in  those  twenty  last  in- 
valuable minutes  before  turning  in.  And  I 
had  made  a  very  natural  point  of  asking  him 
where  he  kept,  and  would  recommend  me 
to  keep,  the  keys  at  night.  Of  course  I 
thought  he  would  take  them  with  him  to  his 
room;  but  no  such  thing;  he  had  a  dodge 
worth  two  of  that.  What  it  was  doesn't 
much  matter,  but  no  outsider  would  have 
found  those  keys  in  a  month  of  Sundays. 

"  I,  of  course,  had  them  in  a  few  sec- 
onds, and  in  a  few  more  I  was  in  the  strong- 
room itself.  I  forgot  to  say  that  the  moon 
had  risen  and  was  letting  quite  a  lot  of  light 
into  the  bank.  I  had,  however,  brought  a 
bit  of  candle  with  me  from  my  room ;  and 
in  the  stroir.g-room,  which  was  down  some 
narrow  stairs  behind  the  counter  in  the 
banking  chamber,  I  had  no  hesitation  in 
lighting  it.  There  was  no  window  down 
there,  and,  though  I  could  no  longer  hear 
old  Ewbank  snoring,  I  had  not  the  slight- 
est reason  to  anticipate  disturbance  from 
137 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

that  quarter.  I  did  think  of  locking  myseli 
in  while  I  was  at  work,  but,  thank  good- 
ness, the  iron  door  had  no  keyhole  on  the 
inside. 

"  Well,  there  were  heaps  of  gold  in  the 
safe,  but  I  only  took  what  I  needed  and 
could  comfortably  carry,  not  much  more 
than  a  couple  of  hundred  altogether.  Not 
a  note  would  I  touch,  and  my  native  cau- 
tion came  out  also  in  the  way  I  divided  the 
sovereigns  between  all  my  pockets,  and 
packed  them  up  so  that  I  shouldn't  be  like 
the  old  woman  of  Banbury  Cross.  Well, 
you  think  me  too  cautious  still,  but  I  was 
insanely  cautious  then.  And  so  it  was  that, 
just  as  I  was  ready  to  go,  whereas  I  might 
have  been  gone  ten  minutes,  there  came  a 
violent  knocking  at  the  outer  door. 

"  Bunny,  it  was  the  outer  door  of  the 
banking  chamber!  My  candle  must  have 
been  seen !  And  there  I  stood,  with  the 
grease  running  hot  over  my  fingers,  in  that 
brick  grave  of  a  strong-room  ! 

"  There  was  only  one  thing  to  be  done. 
I  must  trust  to  the  sound  sleeping  of  Ew- 
bank  upstairs,  open  the  door  myself, 
138 


Le  Premier  Pas 

knock  the  visitor  down,  or  shoot  him  with 
the  revolver  I  had  been  new  chum  enough 
to  buy  before  leaving  Melbourne,  and  make 
a  dash  for  that  clump  of  trees  and  the  doc- 
tor's mare.  My  mind  was  made  up  in  an 
instant,  and  I  was  at  the  top  of  the  strong- 
room stairs,  the  knocking  still  continuing, 
when  a  second  sound  drove  me  back.  It 
was  the  sound  of  bare  feet  coming  along  a 
corridor, 

"  My  narrow  stair  was  st^ne,  I  tumbled 
down  it  wuth  little  noise,  and  had  only  to 
push  open  the  iron  door,  for  I  had  left  the 
keys  in  the  safe.  As  I  did  so  I  heard  a 
handle  turn  overhead,  and  thanked  my  gods 
that  I  had  shut  every  single  door  behind 
me.  You  see,  old  chap,  one's  caution 
doesn't  always  let  one  in ! 

"'Who's  that  knocking?'  said  Ewbank 
up  above. 

"  I  could  not  make  out  the  answer,  but 
it  sounded  to  me  like  the  irrelevant  suppli- 
cation of  a  spent  man.  What  I  did  hear, 
plainly,  was  the  cocking  of  the  bank  revol- 
ver before  the  bolts  were  shot  back.  Then, 
a  tottering  step,  a  hard,  short,  shallow 
139 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

breathing,  and  Evvbank's  voice  in  hor- 
ror— 

"  '  My  God !  Good  Lord !  What's  hap- 
pened to  you  ?    You're  bleeding  Hke  a  pig ! ' 

"  '  Not  now/  came  with  a  grateful  sort 
of  sigh. 

"  '  But  you  have  been !     What's  done  it  ?  ' 

"  *  Bushrangers.' 

"'Down  the  road?' 

" '  This  and  Whittlesea — tied  to  tree — 
cock  shots — left  me — bleed  to  death    .    .    .' 

"  The  weak  voice  failed,  and  the  bare  feet 
bolted.  Now  was  my  time — if  the  poor 
devil  had  fainted.  But  I  could  not  be  sure, 
and  there  I  crouched  down  below  in  the 
dark,  at  the  half-shut  iron  door,  not  less 
spellbound  than  imprisoned.  It  was  just 
as  well,  for  Ewbank  wasn't  gone  a  minute. 

"  '  Drink  this,'  I  heard  him  say,  and,  when 
the  other  spoke  again,  his  voice  was 
stronger. 

"  '  Now  I  begin  to  feel  alive    .    .    / 

'"Don't  talk!' 

"  *  It  does  me  good.  You  don't  know 
what  it  was,  all  those  miles  alone,  one  an 
hour  at  the  outside!  I  never  thought  I 
140 


Le  Premier  Pas 

should  come  through.  You  must  let  me 
tell  you — in  case  I  don't ! ' 

"  '  Well,  have  another  sip.' 

"  *  Thank  you  ...  I  said  bushran- 
gers ;  of  course,  there  are  no  such  things 
nowadays.' 

"  '  What  were  they,  then  ?  ' 

"  '  Bank-thieves ;  the  one  that  had  the  pot 
shots  was  the  very  brute  I  drove  out  of  the 
bank  at  Coburg,  with  a  bullet  in  him ! '  " 

"I  knew  it!" 

"  Of  course  you  did,  Bunny ;  so  did  I, 
down  in  that  strong-room ;  but  old  Ewbank 
didn't,  and  I  thought  he  was  never  going  to 
speak  again. 

" '  You're  delirious,'  he  says  at  last. 
'  Who  in  blazes  do  you  think  you  are?' 

"  '  The  new  manager.' 

" '  The  new  manager's  in  bed  and  asleep 
upstairs !  * 

"  '  When  did  he  arrive  ? ' 

" '  This  evening.' 

"'Call  himself  Raffles?' 

" '  Yes.' 

141 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"'Well,  I'm  damned!'  whispered  the 
real  man.  '  I  thought  it  was  just  revenge, 
but  now  I  see  what  it  was.  My  dear  sir, 
the  man  upstairs  is  an  impostor — if  he's  up- 
stairs still !  He  must  be  one  of  the  gang. 
He's  going  to  rob  the  bank — if  he  hasn't 
done  so  already ! ' 

"  '  If  he  hasn't  done  so  already,'  muttered 
Ewbank  after  him ;  '  if  he's  upstairs  still ! 
By  God,  if  he  is  I'm  sorry  for  him! ' 

"  His  tone  was  quiet  enough,  but  about 
the  nastiest  I  ever  heard.  I  tell  you,  Bun- 
ny, I  was  glad  I'd  brought  that  revolver. 
It  looked  as  though  it  must  be  mine  against 
his,  muzzle  to  muzzle. 

"  '  Better  have  a  look  down  here,  first/ 
said  the  new  manager. 

"  '  While  he  gets  through  his  window  ? 
No,  no,  he's  not  down  here,' 

"  '  It's  easy  to  have  a  look.' 

"  Bunny,  if  you  ask  me  what  was  the 
most  thrilling  moment  of  my  infamous  ca- 
reer, I  say  it  was  that  moment.  There  I 
stood  at  the  bottom  of  those  narrow  stone 
stairs,  inside  the  strong-room,  with  the  door 
a  good  foot  open,  and  I  didn't  know 
T42 


Le  Premier  Pas 

whether  it  would  creak  or  not.  The  light 
was  coming  nearer — and  I  didn't  know !  1 
had  to  chance  it.  And  it  didn't  creak  a  bit ; 
it  was  far  too  solid  and  well-hung;  and  I 
couldn't  have  banged  it  if  I'd  tried,  it  was 
too  heavy;  and  it  fitted  so  close  that  I  felt 
and  heard  the  air  squeeze  out  in  my  face. 
Every  shred  of  light  went  out,  except  the 
streak  underneath,  and  it  brightened.  How 
I  blessed  that  door ! 

"  '  No,  he's  not  down  thcrcj  I  heard  as 
though  through  cotton-wool;  then  the 
streak  went  out  too,  and  in  a  few  seconds  I 
ventured  to  open  once  more,  and  was  in 
time  to  hear  them  creeping  to  my  room. 

"  Well,  now  there  was  not  a  fifth  of  a 
second  to  be  lost ;  but  I'm  proud  to  say  I 
came  up  those  stairs  on  my  toes  and  fingers, 
and  out  of  that  bank  (they'd  gone  and  left 
the  door  open)  just  as  gingerly  as  though 
my  time  had  been  my  own.  I  didn't  even 
forget  to  put  on  the  hat  that  the  doctor's 
mare  was  eating  her  oats  out  of,  as  well 
as  she  could  with  a  bit,  or  it  alone  would 
have  landed  me.  I  didn't  even  gallop  away, 
but  just  jogged  off  quietly  in  the  thick  dust 
M3 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

at  the  side  of  the  road  (though  I  own  my 
heart  was  galloping),  and  thanked  my  stars 
the  bank  was  at  that  end  of  the  township, 
in  which  I  really  hadn't  set  foot.  The  very 
last  thing  I  heard  was  the  two  managers 
raising  Cain  and  the  coachman.  And  now, 
Bunny " 

He  stood  up  and  stretched  himself,  with 
a  smile  that  ended  in  a  yawn.  The  black 
windows  had  faded  through  every  shade  of 
indigo;  they  now  framed  their  opposite 
neighbours,  stark  and  livid  in  the  dawn; 
and  the  gas  seemed  turned  to  nothing  in  the 
globes. 

"  But  that's  not  all  ?  "  I  cried. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  say  it  is,"  said  Raffles 
apologetically.  "  The  thing  should  have 
ended  with  an  exciting  chase,  I  know,  but 
somehow  it  didn't.  I  suppose  they  thought 
I  had  got  no  end  of  a  start ;  then  they  had 
made  up  their  minds  that  I  belonged  to  the 
gang,  which  was  not  so  many  miles  away ; 
and  one  of  them  had  got  as  much  as  he 
could  carry  from  that  gang  as  it  was.  But 
I  wasn't  to  know  all  that,  and  I'm  bound 
to  say  that  there  was  plenty  of  excitement 
144 


Le  Premier  Pas 

left  for  me.  Lord,  how  I  made  that  poor 
brute  travel  when  I  got  among  the  trees! 
Though  we  must  have  made  it  over  fifty 
miles  from  Melbourne,  we  had  done  it  at  a 
snail's  pace;  and  those  stolen  oats  had 
brisked  the  old  girl  up  to  such  a  pitch 
that  she  fairly  bolted  when  she  felt  her 
nose  turned  south.  By  Jove  it  was  no  joke, 
in  and  out  among  those  trees,  and  under 
branches  wnth  your  face  in  the  mane!  I 
told  you  about  the  forest  of  dead  gums  ?  It 
looked  perfectly  ghostly  ia  the  moonlight. 
And  I  found  it  as  still  as  I  had  left  it — so 
still  that  I  pulled  up  there,  my  first  halt,  and 
lay  with  my  ear  to  the  ground  for  two  or 
three  minutes.  But  I  heard  nothing — not 
a  thing  but  the  mare's  bellow  and  my  own 
heart.  I'm  sorry,  Bunny;  but  if  ever  you 
write  my  memoirs,  you  won't  have  any  diffi- 
culty in  working  up  that  chase.  Play  those 
dead  gum-trees  for  all  they're  worth,  and 
let  the  bullets  fly  like  hail.  I'll  turn  round 
in  my  saddle  to  see  Ewbank  coming  up 
hell-to-leather  in  his  white  suit,  and  I'll  duly 
paint  it  red.  Do  it  in  the  third  person,  and 
they  won't  know  how  it's  going  to  end." 
MS 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  But  I  don't  know  myself,"  I  com- 
plained. "  Did  the  mare  carry  you  all  the 
way  back  to  Melbourne?  " 

"  Every  rod,  pole  or  perch !  I  had  her 
well  seen  to  at  our  hotel,  and  returned  her 
to  the  doctor  in  the  evening.  He  was  tre- 
mendously tickled  to  hear  I  had  been 
bushed;  next  morning  he  brought  me  the 
paper  to  show  me  what  I  had  escaped  at 
Yea!" 

"  Without  suspecting  anything?  " 

"Ah!"  said  Raffles,  as  he  put  out  the 
gas ;  "  that's  a  point  on  which  I've  never 
made  up  my  mind.  The  mare  and  her 
colour  was  a  coincidence — luckily  she  was 
only  a  bay — and  I  fancy  the  condition  of  the 
beast  must  have  told  a  tale.  The  doctor's 
manner  was  certainly  different.  I'm  in- 
clined to  think  he  suspected  something, 
though  not  the  right  thing.  I  wasn't  ex- 
pecting him,  and  I  fear  my  appearance  may 
have  increased  his  suspicions." 

I  asked  him  why. 

"  I  used  to  have  rather  a  heavy  mous- 
tache," said  Raffles,  "but  I  lost  it  the  day 
after  I  lost  my  innocence." 
146 


WILFUL  MURDER 

/^F  the  various  robberies  in  which  we 
^'^  were  both  concerned,  it  is  but 
the  few,  I  find,  that  will  bear  telling  at  any 
length.  Not  that  the  others  contained  de- 
tails which  even  I  would  hesitate  to  re- 
count; it  is,  rather,  the  very  absence  of  un- 
toward incident  which  renders  them  useless 
for  my  present  purpose.  In  point  of  fact 
our  plans  were  so  craftily  laid  (by  Raf- 
fles) that  the  chances  of  a  hitch  were  invari- 
ably reduced  to  a  minimum  before  we  went 
to  work.  We  might  be  disappointed  in  the 
market  value  of  our  haul;  but  it  was  quite 
the  exception  for  us  to  find  ourselves  con- 
fronted by  unforeseen  impediments,  or  in- 
volved in  a  really  dramatic  dilemma.  There 
was  a  sameness  even  in  our  spoil;  for,  of 
course,  only  the  most  precious  stones  are 
worth  the  trouble  we  took  and  the  risks  we 
ran.  In  short,  our  most  successful  escapades 
147 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

would  prove  the  greatest  weariness  of  all 
in  narrative  form;  and  none  more  so  than 
the  dull  affair  of  the  Ardagh  emeralds,  some 
eight  or  nine  weeks  after  the  Milchester 
cricket  week.  The  former,  however,  had 
a  sequel  that  I  would  rather  forget  than 
all  our  burglaries  put  together. 

It  was  the  evening  after  our  return  from 
Ireland,  and  I  was  waiting  at  my  rooms  for 
Raffles,  who  had  gone  ofif  as  usual  to  dis- 
pose of  the  plunder.  Rafifles  had  his  own 
method  of  conducting  this  very  vital  branch 
of  our  business,  which  I  was  well  content  to 
leave  entirely  in  his  hands.  He  drove  the 
bargains,  I  believe,  in  a  thin  but  subtle  dis- 
guise of  the  flashy-seedy  order,  and  always 
in  the  Cockney  dialect  of  which  he  had 
made  himself  a  master.  Moreover,  he  in- 
variably employed  the  same  "  fence,"  who 
was  ostensibly  a  money-lender  in  a  small 
(but  yet  notorious)  way,  and  in  reality  a 
rascal  as  remarkable  as  Rafifles  himself. 
Only  lately  I  also  had  been  to  the  man, 
but  in  my  proper  person.  We  had  needed 
capital  for  the  getting  of  these  very 
emeralds,  and  I  had  raised  a  hundred 
148 


Wilful  Murder 

pounds,  on  the  terms  you  would  expect, 
from  a  soft-spoken  greybeard  with  an  in- 
gratiating smile,  an  incessant  bow,  and  the 
shiftiest  old  eyes  that  ever  flew  from  rim  to 
rim  of  a  pair  of  spectacles.  So  the  original 
sinews  and  the  final  spoils  of  war  came  in 
this  case  from  the  self-same  source — a  cir- 
cumstance which  appealed  to  us  both. 

But  these  same  final  spoils  I  was  still  to 
see,  and  I  waited  and  waited  with  an  im- 
patience that  grew  upon  me  with  the  grow- 
ing dusk.  At  my  open  window  I  had  played 
Sister  Ann  until  the  faces  in  the  street  be- 
low were  no  longer  distinguishable.  And 
now  I  was  tearing  to  and  fro  in  the  grip  of 
horrible  hypotheses — a  grip  that  tightened 
when  at  last  the  lift-gates  opened  with  a 
clatter  outside — that  held  me  breathless  un- 
til a  well-known  tattoo  followed  on  my 
door. 

"  In  the  dark!  "  said  Rafifles  as  I  dragged 
him  in.    "  Why,  Bunny,  what's  wrong?  " 

"  Nothing — now  you've  come,"  said  I, 
shutting  the  door  behind  him  in  a  fever  of 
rehef  and  anxiety.  "Well?  Well?  What 
did  they  fetch?" 

149 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Five  hundred." 

"  Down?  " 

"  Got  it  in  my  pocket." 

"  Good  man!  "  I  cried.  "  You  don't  knov^r 
what  a  stew  I've  been  in.  I'll  switch  on 
the  light.  I've  been  thinking  of  you  and 
nothing  else  for  the  last  hour.  I — I  was 
ass  enough  to  think  something  had  gone 
wrong  1 " 

Raffles  was  smiling  when  the  white  light 
filled  the  room,  but  for  the  moment  I  did 
not  perceive  the  peculiarity  of  his  smile.  I 
was  fatuously  full  of  my  own  late  tremors 
and  present  relief;  and  my  first  idiotic  act 
was  to  spill  some  whisky  and  squirt  the 
soda-water  all  over  in  my  anxiety  to  do  in- 
stant justice  to  the  occasion. 

"  So  you  thought  something  had  hap- 
pened?" said  Raffles,  leaning  back  in  my 
chair  as  he  lit  a  cigarette,  and  looking  much 
amused.  "  What  should  you  say  if  some- 
thing had?  Sit  tight,  my  dear  chap!  It 
was  nothing  of  the  slightest  consequence, 
and  it's  all  over  now.  A  stern  chase  and  a 
long  one.  Bunny,  but  I  think  I'm  well  to 
windward  this  time." 
150 


Wilful  Murder 

And  suddenly  I  saw  that  his  collar  was 
limp,  his  hair  matted,  his  boots  thick  with 
dust. 

"The  police?"  I  whispered  aghast. 
"  Oh  dear,  no;  only  old  Baird." 
"  Baird!    But  wasn't  it  Baird  who  took 
the  emeralds?" 
"  It  was." 

"  Then  how  came  he  to  chase  you?  " 
"  My  dear  fellow,  I'll  tell  >ou  if  you  give 
me  a  chance;  it's  really  nothing  to  get  in 
the  least  excited  about.  Old  Baird  has  at 
last  spotted  that  I'm  not  quite  the  common 
cracksman  I  would  have  him  think  me. 
So  he's  been  doing  his  best  to  run  me  to 
my  burrow." 

"  And  you  call  that  nothing!  " 
"  It  would  be  something  if  he  had  suc- 
ceeded; but  he  has  still  to  do  that.  I  ad- 
mit, however,  that  he  made  me  sit  up  for 
the  time  being.  It  all  comes  of  going  on 
the  job  so  far  from  home.  There  was  the 
old  brute  with  the  whole  thing  in  his  morn- 
ing paper.  He  hiciv  it  must  have  been 
done  by  some  fellow  who  could  pass  him- 
self off  for  a  gentleman,  and  I  saw  his  eye- 
151 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

brows  go  up  the  moment  I  told  him  I  was 
the  man,  with  the  same  old  twang  that  you 
could  cut  with  a  paper-knife.  I  did  my 
best  to  get  out  of  it — swore  I  had  a  pal 
who  was  a  real  swell — but  I  saw  very  plain- 
ly that  I  had  given  myself  away.  He  gave 
up  haggling.  He  paid  my  price  as  though 
he  enjoyed  doing  it.  But  I  -felt  him  follow- 
ing me  when  I  made  tracks;  though,  of 
course,  I  didn't  turn  round  to  see." 

"Why  not?" 

"  My  dear  Bunny,  it's  the  very  worst 
thing  you  can  do.  As  long  as  you  look  un- 
suspecting they'll  keep  their  distance,  and 
so  long  as  they  keep  their  distance  you 
stand  a  chance.  Once  show  that  you  know 
you're  being  followed,  and  it's  flight  or  fight 
for  all  you're  worth,  I  never  even  looked 
■\  round;  and  mind  you  never  do  in  the  same 
hole.  I  just  hurried  up  to  Blackfriars  and 
booked  for  High  Street,  Kensington,  at  the 
top  of  my  voice;  and  as  the  train  was  leav- 
ing Sloane  Square  out  I  hopped,  and  up  all 
those  stairs  like  a  lamplighter,  and  round 
to  the  studio  by  the  back  streets.  Well,  to 
be  on  the  safe  side,  I  lay  low  there  all  the 
152 


Wilful  Murder 

afternoon,  hearing  nothing  in  the  least  sus= 
picious,  and  only  wishing  I  had  a  window 
to  look  through  instead  of  that  beastly  sky- 
light. However,  the  coast  seemed  clear 
enough,  and  thus  far  it  was  my  mere  idea 
that  he  would  follow  me;  there  was  nothing 
to  show  he  had.  So  at  last  I  marched  out 
in  my  proper  rig — almost  straight  into  old 
Baird's  arms!  " 

"  What  on  earth  did  you  do?  " 
"  Walked  past  him  as  though  I  had  never 
set  eyes  on  him  in  my  life,  and  didn't  then; 
took  a  hansom  in  the  King's  Road,  and 
drove  like  the  deuce  to  Clapham  Junction ; 
rushed  on  to  the  nearest  platform,  without 
a  ticket,  jumped  into  the  first  train  I  saw,  ^ 
got  out  at  Twickenham,  walked  full  tilt  back 
to  Richmond,  took  the  District  to  Charing 
Cross,  and  here  I  am !  Ready  for  a  tub  and 
a  change,  and  the  best  dinner  the  club  can 
give  us.  I  came  to  you  first,  because  I 
thought  you  might  be  getting  anxious. 
Come  round  with  me,  and  I  won't  keep  you 
long." 

"  You're  certain  you've   given  him  the 
slip?  "  I  said,  as  we  put  on  our  hats. 
153 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Certain  enough ;  but  we  can  make  as- 
surance doubly  sure,"  said  Raffles,  and  went 
to  my  window,  where  he  stood  for  a  minute 
or  two  looking  down  into  the  street. 

"All  right?"  I  asked  him. 

"  All  right,"  said  he;  and  we  went  down- 
stairs forthwith,  and  so  to  the  Albany  arm- 
in-arm. 

But  we  were  both  rather  silent  on  the 
way.  I,  for  my  part,  was  wondering  what 
Raffles  would  do  about  the  studio  in  Chel- 
sea, whither,  at  all  events,  he  had  been  suc- 
cessfully dogged.  To  me  the  point  seemed 
one  of  immediate  importance,  but  when  I 
mentioned  it  he  said  there  was  time  enough 
to  think  about  that.  His  one  other  remark 
was  made  after  we  had  nodded  (in  Bond 
Street)  to  a  young  blood  of  our  acquaint- 
ance who  happened  to  be  getting  himself  a 
bad  name. 

"Poor  Jack  Rutter!"  said  Raffles,  with 
a  sigh.  "  Nothing's  sadder  than  to  see  a 
fellow  going  to  the  bad  like  that.  He's 
about  mad  with  drink  and  debt,  poor  devil ! 
Did  you  see  his  eye?  Odd  that  we  should 
have  met  him  to-night,  by  the  way;  it's 
154 


Wilful  Murder 

old  Baird  who's  said  to  have  skinned  him. 
By  God,  but  I'd  like  to  skin  old  Baird!  " 

And  his  tone  took  a  sudden  low  fury, 
made  the  more  noticeable  by  another  long 
silence,  which  lasted,  indeed,  throughout  an 
admirable  dinner  at  the  club,  and  for  some 
time  after  we  had  settled  down  in  a  quiet 
corner  of  the  smoking-room  with  our  coffee 
and  cigars.  Then  at  last  I  saw  Raffles  look- 
ing at  me  with  his  lazy  smile,  and  I  knew 
that  the  morose  fit  was  at  an  end. 

"  I  daresay  you  wonder  what  I've  been 
thinking  about  all  this  time?  "  said  he.  "  I've 
been  thinking  what  rot  it  is  to  go  doing 
things  by  halves! " 

"  Well,"  said  I,  returning  his  smile, 
"  that's  not  a  charge  that  you  can  bring 
against  yourself,  is  it?  " 

"  I'm  not  so  sure,"  said  Rafifles,  blowing 
a  meditative  puff;  "  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I 
was  thinking  less  of  myself  than  of  that 
poor  devil  of  a  Jack  Rutter,  There's  a  fel- 
low who  does  things  by  halves;  he's  only 
half  gone  to  the  bad;  and  look  at  the  differ- 
ence between  him  and  us!  He's  under  the 
thumb  of  a  villainous  money-lender;  we  are 
IKK 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

solvent  citizens.  He's  taken  to  drink;  we're 
as  sober  as  we  are  solvent.  His  pals  are 
beginning  to  cut  him;  our  difficulty  is  to 
keep  the  pal  from  the  door.  Eniin,  he  begs 
or  borrows,  which  is  stealing  by  halves; 
and  we  steal  outright  and  are  done  with  it. 
Obviously  ours  is  the  more  honest  course. 
Yet  I'm  not  sure,  Bunny,  but  we're  doing 
the  thing  by  halves  ourselves!  " 

"  Why  ?  What  more  could  we  do  ?  "  I 
exclaimed  in  soft  derision,  looking  round, 
however,  to  make  sure  that  we  were  not 
overheard. 

"What  more?"  said  Raffles.  "Well, 
murder — for  one  thing." 

"Rot!" 

"A  matter  of  opinion,  my  dear  Bunny; 
I  don't  mean  it  for  rot.  I've  told  you  before 
that  the  biggest  man  alive  is  the  man  who's 
committed  a  murder,  and  not  yet  been 
found  out;  at  least  he  ought  to  be,  but  he  so 
very  seldom  has  the  soul  to  appreciate  him- 
self. Just  think  of  it!  Think  of  coming  in 
here  and  talking  to  the  men,  very  likely 
about  the  murder  itself;  and  knowing  you've 
done  it;  and  wondering  how  they'd  look  if 
156 


Wilful  Murder 

they  knew!  Oh,  it  would  be  great,  simply 
great!  But,  besides  all  that,  when  you  were 
caught  there'd  be  a  merciful  and  dramatic 
end  of  you.  You'd  fill  the  bill  for  a  few 
weeks,  and  then  snuff  out  with  a  flourish  of 
extra-specials ;  you  wouldn't  rust  with  a  vile 
repose  for  seven  or  fourteen  years." 

"  Good  old  Raffles!  "  I  chuckled.  "  I  be- 
gin to  forgive  you  for  being  in  bad  form  at 
dinner." 

"  But  I  was  never  more  earnest  in  my 
life." 

"Goon!" 

"  I  mean  it." 

"  You  know  very  well  that  you  wouldn't 
commit  a  murder,  whatever  else  you  might 
do." 

"  I  know  very  well  I'm  going  to  commit 
one  to-night !  " 

He  had  been  leaning  back  in  the  saddle- 
bag chair,  watching  me  with  keen  eyes 
sheathed  by  languid  lids;  now  he  started 
forward,  and  his  eyes  leapt  to  mine  like 
cold  steel  from  the  scabbard.  They  struck 
home  to  my  slow  wits ;  their  meaning  was 
no  longer  in  doubt.  I,  who  knew  the  man, 
157 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

read  murder  in  his  clenched  hands,  and 
murder  in  his  locked  lips,  but  a  hundred 
murders  in  those  hard  blue  eyes. 

"  Baird?"  I  faltered,  moistening  my  lips 
with  my  tongue. 

"  Of  course." 

"  But  you  said  it  didn't  matter  about  the 
room  in  Chelsea?  " 

"  I  told  a  lie." 

"  Anyway  you  gave  him  the  slip  after- 
wards 1 " 

"  That  was  another.  I  didn't.  I  thought 
I  had  when  I  came  up  to  you  this  evening; 
but  when  I  looked  out  of  your  window — 
you  remember?  to  make  assurance  doubly 
sure — there  he  was  on  the  opposite  pave- 
ment down  below." 

"  And  you  never  said  a  word  about  it!  " 

"  I  wasn't  going  to  spoil  your  dinner, 
Bunny,  and  I  wasn't  going  to  let  you  spoil 
mine.  But  there  he  was  as  large  as  life, 
and,  of  course,  he  followed  us  to  the  Albany. 
A  fine  game  for  him  to  play,  a  game  after 
his  mean  old  heart:  blackmail  from  me, 
bribes  from  the  police,  the  one  bidding 
against  the  other;  but  he  sha'n't  play  it 
158 


Wilful  Murder 

with  me,  he  sha'n't  live  to,  and  the  world 
will  have  an  extortioner  the  less.  Waiter! 
Two  Scotch  whiskies  and  sodas.  I'm  off  at 
eleven,  Bunny;  it's  the  only  thing  to  be 
done."  f  "^  '  ^  .'I^lCZTjoJ^aMj.*-,^ 

"  You  know  where  he  lives,  then?  " 

"  Yes,  out  Willesden  way,  and  alone;  the 
fellow's  a  miser  among  other  things.  I 
long  ago  found  out  all  abont  him." 

Again  I  looked  round  the  room;  it  was 
a  young  man's  club,  and  young  men  were 
laughing,  chatting,  smoking,  drinking,  on 
every  hand.  One  nodded  to  me  through 
the  smoke.  Like  a  machine  I  nodded  to 
him,  and  turned  back  to  Raffles  with  a 
groan. 

"  Surely  you  will  give  him  a  chance!  "  I 
urged.  "  The  very  sight  of  your  pistol 
should  bring  him  to  terms." 

"  It  wouldn't  make  him  keep  them." 

"  But  you  might  try  the  effect?  " 

"  I  probably  shall.  Here's  a  drink  for 
you.  Bunny.    Wish  me  luck." 

"  I'm  coming  too." 

"  I  don't  want  you." 

"  But  I  must  come!  " 
159 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

An  ugly  gleam  shot  from  the  steel-blue 
eyes. 

"  To  interfere?  "  said  Raffles. 

"  Not  I." 

"You  give  me  your  word?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Bunny,  if  you  break  it " 

"  You  may  shoot  me  too!  " 

"  I  most  certainly  should,"  said  Raffles, 
solemnly.  "  So  you  come  at  your  own  peril, 
my  dear  man;  but,  if  you  are  coming — 
well,  the  sooner  the  better,  for  I  must  stop 
at  my  rooms  on  the  way." 

Five  minutes  later  I  was  waiting  for  him 
at  the  Piccadilly  entrance  to  the  Albany.  I 
had  a  reason  for  remaining  outside.  It  was 
the  feeling — half  hope,  half  fear — that  An- 
gus Baird  might  still  be  on  our  trail — that 
some  more  immediate  and  less  cold-blooded 
way  of  dealing  with  him  might  result  from 
a  sudden  encounter  between  the  money- 
lender and  myself.  I  would  not  warn  him  of 
his  danger;  but  I  would  avert  tragedy  at  all 
costs.  And  when  no  such  encounter  had 
taken  place,  and  Raffles  and  I  were  fairly 
on  our  way  to  Willesden,  that,  I  think,  was 
1 60 


Wilful  Murder 

still  my  honest  regolve.  I  would  not  break 
my  word  if  I  could  help  it,  but  it  was  a 
comfort  to  feel  that  I  could  break  it  if  I 
liked,  on  an  understood  penalty.  Alas!  I 
fear  my  good  intentions  were  tainted  w'ith 
a  devouring  curiosity,  and  overlaid  by  the 
fascination  which  goes  hand  in  hand  with 
horror. 

I  have  a  poignant  recollection  of  the  hour 
it  took  us  to  reach  the  house.  We  walked 
across  St.  James's  Park  (I  can  see  the  lights 
now,  bright  on  the  bridge  and  blurred  in 
the  water),  and  we  had  some  minutes  to 
wait  for  the  last  train  to  Willesden.  It  left 
at  II.2I,  I  remember,  and  Raffles  was  put 
out  to  find  it  did  not  go  on  to  Kensal  Rise. 
We  had  to  get  out  at  Willesden  Junction 
and  walk  on  through  the  streets  into  fairly 
open  country  that  happened  to  be  quite  new 
to  me.  I  could  never  find  the  house  again. 
I  remember,  however,  that  we  were  on  a 
dark  footpath  between  woods  and  fields 
when  the  clocks  began  striking  twelve. 

"  Surely,"  said  I,  "  we  shall  find  him  in 
bed  and  asleep?  " 

"  I  hope  we  do,"  said  Raffles  grimly. 
i6i 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"Then  you  mean  to  break  in?" 

"  What  else  did  you  think?  " 

I  had  not  thought  about  it  at  all;  the  ulti- 
mate crime  had  monopolised  my  mind.  Be- 
side it  burglary  was  a  bagatelle,  but  one  to 
deprecate  none  the  less.  I  saw  obvious  ob- 
jections: the  man  was  an  fait  with  cracks- 
men and  their  ways:  he  would  certainly 
have  firearms,  and  might  be  the  first  to  use 
them. 

"  I  could  wish  nothing  better,"  said  Raf- 
fles. "  Then  it  will  be  man  to  man,  and 
devil  take  the  worst  shot.  You  don't  sup- 
pose I  prefer  foul  play  to  fair,  do  you?  But 
die  he  must,  by  one  or  the  other,  or  it's  a 
long  stretch  for  you  and  me." 

"  Better  that  than  this!  " 

"  Then  sta}-  where  you  are,  my  good  fel- 
lov>-.  I  told  you  I  didn't  want  you;  and  this 
is  the  house.    So  good-night." 

I  could  see  no  house  at  all,  only  the  angle 
of  a  high  wall  rising  solitary  in  the  night, 
with  the  starlight  glittering  on  battlements 
of  broken  glass ;  and  in  the  wall  a  tall  green 
gate,  bristling  with  spikes,  and  showing  a 
front  for  battering-rams  in  the  feeble  rays 
162 


Wilful  Murder 

an  outlying  lamp-post  cast  across  the  new- 
made  road.  It  seemed  to  me  a  road  of 
building  sites,  with  but  this  one  house  built, 
all  by  itself,  at  one  end;  but  the  night  was 
too  dark  for  more  than  a  mere  impression. 

Raffles,  however,  had  seen  the  place  by 
daylight,  and  had  come  prepared  for  the 
special  obstacles;  already  he  was  reaching 
up  and  putting  champagne  corks  on  the 
spikes,  and  in  another  moment  he  had  his 
folded  covert-coat  across  the  corks.  I 
stepped  back  as  he  raised  himself,  and  saw 
a  little  pyramid  of  slates  snip  the  sky  above 
the  gate;  as  he  squirmed  over  I  ran  forward, 
and  had  my  own  weight  on  the  spikes  and 
corks  and  covert-coat  when  he  gave  the 
latter  a  tug. 

"Coming  after  all?" 

"Rather!" 

"Take  care,  then;  the  place  is  all  bell- 
wires  and  springs.  It's  no  soft  thing,  this! 
There — stand  still  while  I  take  off  the 
corks." 

The  garden  was  very  small  and  new,  with 
a  grass-plot  still  in  separate  sods,  but  a 
quantity  of  full-grown  laurels  stuck  into  the 
163 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

raw  clay  beds.  "  Bells  in  themselves,"  as 
Raffles  whispered;  "there's  nothing  else 
rustles  so — cunning  old  beast!  "  And  we 
gave  them  a  wide  berth  as  we  crept  across 
the  grass. 

"He's  gone  to  bed!" 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Bunny.  I  believe  he's 
seen  us." 

"Why?" 

"  I  saw  a  light." 

"  Where?  " 

"  Downstairs,  for  an  instant,  when  I " 

His  whisper  died  away;  he  had  seen  the 
light  again;  and  so  had  I. 

It  lay  hke  a  golden  rod  under  the  front- 
door— and  vanished.  It  reappeared  like  a 
gold  thread  under  the  lintel — and  vanished 
for  good.  We  heard  the  stairs  creak,  creak, 
and  cease,  also  for  good.  We  neither  saw 
nor  heard  any  more,  though  we  stood  wait- 
ing on  the  grass  till  our  feet  were  soaked 
with  the  dew. 

"  I'm  going  in,"  said  Raffles  at  last.  "  I 
don't  believe  he  saw  us  at  all.  I  wish  he 
had.     This  way." 

We  trod  gingerly  on  the  path,  but  the 
164 


Wilful  Murder 

gravel  stuck  to  our  wet  soles,  and  grated 
horribly  in  a  little  tiled  verandah  with  a 
glass  door  leading  within.  It  was  through 
this. glass  that  Raffles  had  first  seen  the 
light;  and  he  now  proceeded  to  take  out  a 
pane,  with  the  diamond,  the  pot  of  treacle, 
and  the  sheet  of  brown  paper  which  were 
seldom  omitted  from  his  impedimenta.  Nor 
did  he  dispense  with  my  own  assistance, 
though  he  may  have  accepted  it  as  instinc- 
tively as  it  was  proffered.  In  any  case  it 
was  these  fingers  that  helped  to  spread  the 
treacle  on  the  brown  paper,  and  pressed 
the  latter  to  the  glass  until  the  diamond  had 
completed  its  circuit  and  the  pane  fell  gent- 
ly back  into  our  hands. 

Raffles  now  inserted  his  hand,  turned  the 
key  in  the  lock,  and,  by  making  a  long  arm, 
succeeded  in  drawing  the  bolt  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  door;  it  proved  to  be  the  only 
one,  and  the  door  opened,  though  not  very 
wide. 

"What's  that?"  said  Raffles,  as  some- 
thing crunched  beneath  his  feet  on  the  very 
threshold. 

"  A  pair  of  spectacles,"  I  whispered,  pick- 
165 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ing  them  up.  I  was  still  fingering  the 
broken  lenses  and  the  bent  rims  when 
Raffles  tripped  and  almost  fell,  with  a 
gasping  cry  that  he  made  no  effort  to  re- 
strain. 

"Hush,  man,  hush!"  I  entreated  under 
my  breath.    "  He'll  hear  you!  " 

For  answer  his  teeth  chattered — even  his 
— and  I  heard  him  fumbling  with  his 
matches.  "  No,  Bunny;  he  won't  hear  us," 
whispered  Raffles,  presently;  and  he  rose 
from  his  knees  and  lit  a  gas  as  the  match 
burnt  down. 

Angus  Baird  was  lying  on  his  own  floor, 
dead,  with  his  grey  hairs  glued  together 
by  his  blood;  near  him  a  poker  with  the 
black  end  glistening;  in  a  corner  his  desk, 
ransacked,  littered.  A  clock  ticked  noisily 
on  the  chimney-piece;  for  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred seconds  there  was  no  other  sound. 

Raffles  stood  very  still,  staring  down  at 
the  dead,  as  a  man  might  stare  into  an 
abyss  after  striding  blindly  to  its  brink. 
His  breath  came  audibly  through  wide  nos- 
trils; he  made  no  other  sign,  and  his  lips 
seemed  sealed. 

166 


Wilful  Murder 

"  That  light!  "  said  I,  hoarsely;  "  the  light 
we  saw  under  the  door!  " 

With  a  start  he  turned  to  me. 

"It's  true!  I  had  forgotten  it.  It  was 
in  here  I  saw  it  first!  " 

"  He  must  be  upstairs  still!  " 

'■  If  he  is  we'll  soon  rout  him  out.  Come 
on!" 

Instead  I  laid  a  hand  upon  his  arm,  im- 
ploring him  to  reflect — that  his  enemy  was 
dead  now — that  we  should  certainly  be  in- 
volved— that  now  or  never  was  our  own 
time  to  escape.  He  shook  me  ofif  in  a  sud- 
den fury  of  impatience,  a  reckless  contempt 
in  his  eyes,  and,  bidding  me  save  my  own 
skin  if  I  liked,  he  once  more  turned  his 
back  upon  me,  and  this  time  left  me  half 
resolved  to  take  him  at  his  word.  Had  he 
forgotten  on  what  errand  he  himself  was 
here?  Was  he  determined  that  this  night 
should  end  in  black  disaster?  As  I  asked 
myself  these  questions  his  match  flared  in 
the  hall;  in  another  moment  the  stairs  were 
creaking  under  his  feet,  even  as  they  had 
creaked  under  those  of  the  murderer;  and 
the  humane  instinct  that  inspired  him  in  de- 
167 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

fiance  of  his  risk  was  borne  in  also  upon 
my  slower  sensibilities.  Could  we  let  the 
murderer  go?  My  answer  was  to  bound 
up  the  creaking  stairs  and  to  overhaul  Raf- 
fles on  the  landing. 

But  three  doors  presented  themselves; 
the  first  opened  into  a  bedroom  with  the 
bed  turned  down  but  undisturbed;  the  sec- 
ond room  was  empty  in  every  sense;  the 
third  door  was  locked. 

Raffles  lit  the  landing  gas. 

"  He's  in  there,"  said  he,  cocking  his  re- 
volver. "  Do  you  remember  how  we  used 
to  break  into  the  studies  at  school?  Here 
goes! " 

His  flat  foot  crashed  over  the  keyhole, 
the  lock  gave,  the  door  flew  open,  and 
in  the  sudden  draught  the  landing  gas 
heeled  over  like  a  cobble  in  a  squall;  as  the 
flame  righted  itself  I  saw  a  fixed  bath,  two 
bath-towels  knotted  together — an  open  win- 
dow— a  cowering  figure — and  Raffies  struck 
aghast  on  the  threshold. 

"  Jack—Ruitcrf  " 

The  words  came  thick  and  slow  with  hor- 
ror, and  in  horror  I  heard  myself  repeating 
r68 


Wilful  Murder 

them,  while  the  cowering  figure  by  the 
bath-room  window  rose  gradually  erect. 

"  It's  you !  "  he  whispered,  in  amazement 
no  Jess  than  our  own ;  "  it's  you  two ! 
What's  it  mean,  Raffles?  I  saw  you  get 
over  the  gate ;  a  bell  rang,  the  place  is  full 
of  them.  Then  you  broke  in.  What's  it 
all  mean? " 

"  We  may  tell  you  that,  when  you  tell 
us  what  in  God's  name  you've  done,  Rut- 
ter!" 

"  Done?  What  have  I  done?"  The  un- 
happy wretch  came  out  into  the  light  with 
bloodshot,  blinking  eyes,  and  a  bloody  shirt- 
front.  "  You  know — you've  seen — but  I'll 
tell  you  if  you  like.  I've  killed  a  robber; 
that's  all.  I've  killed  a  robber,  a  usurer,  a 
jackal,  a  blackmailer,  the  cleverest  and  the 
cruellest  villain  unhung.  I'm  ready  to  hang 
for  him.    I'd  kill  him  again!  " 

And  he  looked  us  fiercely  in  the  face,  a 
fine  defiance  in  his  dissipated  eyes;  his 
breast  heaving,  his  jaw  like  a  rock. 

"Shall  I  tell  you  how  it  happened?"  he 
went  passionately  on.  "  He's  made  my  life 
a  hell  these  weeks  and  months  past.  You 
169 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

may  know  that.  A  perfect  hell!  Well,  to- 
night I  met  him  in  Bond  Street.  Do  you 
remember  when  I  met  you  fellows?  He 
wasn't  twenty  yards  behind  you;  he  was  on 
your  tracks,  Raffles;  he  saw  me  nod  to  you, 
and  stopped  me  and  asked  me  who  you 
were.  He  seemed  as  keen  as  knives  to 
know,  I  couldn't  think  why,  and  didn't  care 
either,  for  I  saw  my  chance.  I  said 
I'd  tell  him  all  about  you  if  he'd  give  me 
a  private  interview.  He  said  he  wouldn't. 
I  said  he  should,  and  held  him  by  the  coat; 
by  the  time  I  let  him  go  you  were  out  of 
sight,  and  I  waited  where  I  was  till  he  came 
back  in  despair.  I  had  the  whip-hand  of 
him  then.  I  could  dictate  where  the  inter- 
view should  be,  and  I  made  him  take  me 
home  with  him,  still  swearing  to  tell  him 
all  about  you  when  we'd  had  our  talk.  Well, 
vvhen  we  got  here  I  made  him  give  me 
something  to  eat,  putting  him  off  and  off; 
and  about  ten  o'clock  I  heard  the  gate  shut. 
I  waited  a  bit,  and  then  asked  him  if  he 
lived  alone. 

Not  at  all,'  says  he;  '  did  you  not  see 
the  servant? ' 

I70 


Wilful  Murder 

"  I  said  I'd  seen  her,  but  I  thought  I'd 
heard  her  go;  if  I  was  mistaken  no  doubt 
she  would  come  when  she  was  called;  and 
I  yelled  three  times  at  the  top  of  my  voice. 
Of  course  there  was  no  servant  to  come. 
I  knew  that,  because  I  came  to  see  him  one 
night  last  week,  and  he  interviewed  me 
himself  through  the  gate,  but  wouldn't  open 
it.  Well,  when  I  had  done  yelling,  and  not^ 
a  soul  had  come  near  us,  he  was  as  white  as 
that  ceiling.  Then  I  told  him  we  could 
have  our  chat  at  last;  and  I  picked  the 
poker  out  of  the  fender,  and  told  him  how 
he'd  robbed  me,  but  by  God  he  shouldn't 
rob  me  any  more.  I  gave  him  three  minutes 
to  write  and  sign  a  settlement  of  all  his  in- 
iquitous claims  against  me,  or  have  his 
brains  beaten  out  over  his  own  carpet.  He 
thought  a  minute,  and  then  went  to  his 
desk  for  pen  and  paper.  In  two  seconds 
he  was  round  like  lightning  with  a  revolver, 
and  I  went  for  him  bald-headed.  He  fired 
two  or  three  times  and  missed ;  you  can  find 
the  holes  if  you  like;  but  I  hit  him  every 
time — my  God!  I  was  like  a  savage  till  the 
thing  was  done.  And  then  I  didn't  care,  I 
171 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

went  through  his  desk  looking  for  my  own 
bills,  and  was  coming  away  when  you 
turned  up,  I  said  I  didn't  care,  nor  do  I; 
but  I  was  going  to  give  myself  up  to-night, 
and  shall  still ;  so  you  see  I  sha'n't  give  you 
fellows  much  trouble !  " 

He  was  done;  and  there  we  stood  on  the 
landing  of  the  lonely  house,  the  low,  thick, 
eager  voice  still  racing  and  ringing  through 
our  ears;  the  dead  man  below,  and  in  front 
of  us  his  impenitent  slayer.  I  knew  to  whom 
the  impenitence  would  appeal  when  he  had 
heard  the  story,  and  I  was  not  mistaken. 

"That's  all  rot,"  said  Rafifles,  speaking 
after  a  pause;  "  we  sha'n't  let  you  give  your- 
self up." 

"  You  sha'n't  stop  me!  What  would  be 
the  good?  The  woman  saw  me;  it  would 
only  be  a  question  of  time;  and  I  can't  face 
waiting  to  be  taken.  Think  of  it:  waiting 
for  them  to  touch  you  on  the  shoulder !  No, 
no.  no  ;  I'll  give  myself  up  and  get  it  over." 

His  speech  was  changed;    he    faltered, 
floundered.    It  was  as  though  a  clearer  per- 
ception of  his  position  had  come  with  the 
bare  idea  of  escape  from  it. 
172 


Wilful  Murder 

"  But  listen  to  me,"  urged  Raffles; ''  we're 
here  at  our  peril  ourselves.  We  broke  in 
like  thieves  to  enforce  redress  for  a  griev- 
ance very  like  your  own.  But  don't  you 
see?  We  took  out  a  pane — did  the  thing 
like  regular  burglars.  Regular  burglars 
will  get  the  credit  of  all  the  rest!  " 

"  You  mean  that  I  sha'n't  be  suspected?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  get  of?  scot-free," 
cried  Rutter  hysterically.  "  I've  killed  him. 
I  know  that.  But  it  was  in  self-defence;  it 
wasn't  murder.  I  must  own  up  and  take 
the  consequences.  I  shall  go  mad  if  I 
don't!" 

His  hands  twitched;  his  hps  quivered; 
the  tears  were  in  his  eyes.  Raffles  took 
him  roughly  by  the  shoulder. 

"Look  here,  you  fool!  If  the  three  of 
us  were  caught  here  now,  do  you  know 
what  those  consequences  would  be?  We 
should  swing  in  a  row  at  Newgate  in  six 
weeks'  time!  You  talk  as  though  we  were 
sitting  in  a  club;  don't  you  know  it's  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  lights  on, 
and  a  dead  man  down  below?  For  God's 
173 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

sake  pull  yourself  together,  and  do  what 
I  tell  you,  or  you're  a  dead  man  yourself." 

"  I  wish  I  was  one!  "  Rutter  sobbed.  "  I 
wish  I  had  his  revolver  to  blow  my  own 
brains  out.  It's  lying  under  him.  O  my 
God,  my  God !  " 

His  knees  knocked  together:  the  frenzy 
of  reaction  was  at  its  height.  We  had  to 
take  him  downstairs  between  us,  and  so 
through  the  front  door  out  into  the  open 
air. 

All  was  still  outside — all  but  the  smoth- 
ered weeping  of  the  unstrung  wretch  upon 
our  hands.  Raffles  returned  for  a  moment 
to  the  house;  then  all  was  dark  as  well.  The 
gate  opened  from  within ;  we  closed  it  care- 
fully behind  us;  and  so  left  the  starlight 
shining  on  broken  glass  and  polished 
spikes,  one  and  all  as  we  had  found  them. 

We  escaped;  no  need  to  dwell  on  our  es- 
cape. Our  murderer  seemed  set  upon  the 
scaffold — drunk  with  his  deed,  he  was  more 
trouble  than  six  men  drunk  with  wine. 
Again  and  again  we  threatened  to  leave  him 
to  his  fate,  to  wash  our  hands  of  him.  But 
incredible  and  unmerited  luck  was  with  the 


Wilful  Murder 

three  of  us.  Not  a  soul  did  we  meet  be- 
tween that  and  Willesden ;  and  of  those  who 
saw  us  later,  did  one  think  of  the  two  young 
men  with  crooked  white  ties,  supporting  a 
third  in  a  seemingly  unmistakable  condi- 
tion, when  the  evening  papers  apprised  the 
town  of  a  terrible  tragedy  at  Kensal  Rise? 

We  walked  to  Mai  da  Vale,  and  thence 
drove  openly  to  my  rooms.  But  I  alone 
went  upstairs;  the  other  two  proceeded  to 
the  Albany,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  Raffles 
for  forty-eight  hours.  He  was  not  at  his 
rooms  when  I  called  in  the  morning;  he 
had  left  no  word.  When  he  reappeared  the 
papers  were  full  of  the  murder;  and  the 
man  who  had  committed  it  was  on  the  wide 
Atlantic,  a  steerage  passenger  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York. 

"  There  was  no  arguing  with  him,"  so 
Raffles  told  me;  "either  he  must  make  a 
clean  breast  of  it  or  flee  the  country.  So  I 
rigged  him  up  at  the  studio,  and  we  took 
the  first  train  to  Liverpool.  Nothing  would 
induce  him  to  sit  tight  and  enjoy  the  situa- 
tion as  I  should  have  endeavoured  to  do 
in  his  place;  and  it's  just  as  well!    I  went 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

to  his  diggings  to  destroy  some  papers,  and 
what  do  you  think  I  found?  The  poHce  in 
possession;  there's  a  warrant  out  against 
him  already!  The  idiots  think  that  window 
wasn't  genuine,  and  the  warrant's  out.  It 
won't  be  my  fault  if  it's  ever  served!  " 

Nor,  after  all  these  years,  can  I  think  it 
will  be  mine. 


T7<> 


NINE  POINTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

^'  \1/ELL,"  said  Raffles,  "what  do  you 
make  of  it?  " 
I  read  the  advertisement  once  more  be- 
fore replying.     It  was  in  the  last  column 
of  the  Daily  Telegraph,  and  it  ran : — 

JWO  THOUSAND  POUNDS  REWARD.— 
The  above  sum  may  be  earned  by  any  one 
qualified  to  undertake  delicate  mission  and  pre- 
pared to  run  certain  risk.— Apply  by  telegram, 
Security,  London. 

"  I  think,"  said  I,  "  it's  the  most  extraor- 
dinary advertisement  that  ever  got  into 
print!" 

Raffles  smiled. 

"  Not  quite  all  that,  Bunny;  still,  extraor- 
dinary enough,  I  grant  you." 

"  Look  at  the  figure!  " 

"  It  is  certainly  large." 

"  And  the  mission — and  the  risk!  '* 

"Yes;  the  combination  is  frank,  to  say 
the  least  of  it.    But  the  really  original  point 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

is  requiring  applications  by  telegram  to  a 
telegraphic  address!  There's  something  in 
the  fellow  who  thought  of  that,  and  some- 
thing in  his  game;  with  one  word  he  chokes 
off  the  million  who  answer  an  advertise- 
ment every  day — when  they  can  raise  the 
stamp.  My  answer  cost  me  five  bob;  but 
then  I  prepaid  another." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you've  ap- 
pHed?" 

"  Rather,"  said  Raffles.  "  I  want  two 
thousand  pounds  as  much  as  any  man." 

"  Put  your  own  name?  " 

"  Well — no,  Bunny,  I  didn't.  In  point  of 
fact  I  smell  something  interesting  and  il- 
legal, and  you  know  what  a  cautious  chap 
I  am.  I  signed  myself  Glasspool,  care  of 
Hickey,  38,  Conduit  Street;  that's  my  tailor, 
and  after  sending  the  wire  I  went  round  and 
told  him  what  to  expect.  He  promised  to 
send  the  reply  along  the  moment  it  came, 
I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  that's  it!  " 

And  he  was  gone  before  a  double-knock 
on  the  outer  door  had  done  ringing  through 
the  rooms,  to  return  next  minute  with  an 
open  telegram  and  a  face  full  of  news. 
178 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

*  What  do  you  think?  "  said  he.  "  Se- 
curity's that  fellow  Addenbrooke,  the 
pohce-court  lawyer,  and  he  wants  to  see  me 
iusianter! " 

"  Do  you  know  him,  then?  " 

"  Merely  by  repute.  I  only  hope  he 
doesn't  know  me.  He's  the  chap  who  got 
six  weeks  for  sailing  too  close  to  the  wind 
in  the  Sutton- Wilmer  case;  everybody  won- 
dered why  he  wasn't  struck  off  the  rolls. 
Instead  of  that  he's  got  a  first-rate  practice 
on  the  seamy  side,  and  every  blackguard 
with  half  a  case  takes  it  straight  to  Bennett 
Addenbrooke.  He's  probably  the  one  man 
who  would  have  the  cheek  to  put  in  an  ad- 
vertisement like  that,  and  the  one  man  who 
could  do  it  W'ithout  exciting  suspicion.  It's 
simply  in  his  line;  but  you  may  be  sure 
there's  something  shady  at  the  bottom  of 
it.  The  odd  thing  is  that  I  have  long  made 
up  my  mind  to  go  to  Addenbrooke  myself 
if  accidents  should  happen." 

"  And  you're  going  to  him  now?  " 

"  This  minute,"  said  Raffles,  brushing  his 
hat;  "  and  so  are  you." 

"  But  I  came  in  to  drag  you  out  to  luncli," 
179 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

*■  You  shall  lunch  with  me  when  we've 
seen  this  fellow.  Come  on,  Bunny,  and 
we'll  choose  your  name  on  the  way.  Mine's 
Glasspool,  and  don't  you  forget  it." 

Mr.  Bennett  Addenbrooke  occupied  sub- 
stantial ofifices  in  Wellington  Street,  Strand, 
and  was  out  when  we  arrived;  but  he  had 
only  just  gone  "  over  the  way  to  the  court;  " 
and  five  minutes  sufficed  to  produce  a 
brisk,  fresh-coloured,  resolute-looking  man, 
with  a  very  confident,  rather  festive  air,  and 
black  eyes  that  opened  wide  at  the  sight  of 
Raffles. 

"  Mr. — Glasspool?  "  exclaimed  the  law- 
yer. 

"  My  name,"  said  Rafifles,  with  dry  ef- 
frontery. 

"  Not  up  at  Lord's  however!  "  said  the. 
other,  slyly.  "  My  dear  sir,  I  have  seen 
you  take  far  too  many  wickets  to  make  any 
mistake!  " 

For  a  single  moment  RafHes  looked  ven- 
omous; then  he  shrugged  and  smiled,  and 
the  smile  grew  into  a  little  cynical  chuckle. 

"  So    you   have    bowled    me  out  in  my 
turn?"    said    he.     "Well,    I    don't    think 
1 80 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

there's  anything  to  explain.  I  am  harder 
up  than  I  wished  to  admit  under  my  own 
name,  that's  ah,  and  I  want  that  thousand 
pounds  reward." 

"  Two  thousand,"  said  the  soHcitor. 
"  And  the  man  who  is  not  above  an  ahas 
happens  to  be  just  the  sort  of  man  I  want; 
so  don't  let  that  worry  you,  my  dear  sir. 
The  matter,  however,  is  of  a  strictly  private 
and  confidential  character."  And  he  looked 
very  hard  at  me. 

"  Quite  so,"  said  Raffles.  "  But  there  was 
something  about  a  risk?  " 

"  A  certain  risk  is  involved." 

"  Then  surely  three  heads  will  be  better 
than  two.  I  said  I  w^anted  that  thousand 
pounds;  my  friend  here  wants  the  other. 
We  are  both  cursedly  hard  up,  and  we  go 
into  this  thing  together  or  not  at  all.  Alust 
you  have  his  name  too?  I  should  give 
him  my  real  one.  Bunny." 

Mr.  Addenbrooke  raised  his  eyebrows 
over  the  card  I  found  for  him;  then  he 
drummed  upon  it  with  his  finger-nail,  and 
his  embarrassment  expressed  itself  in  a 
puzzled  smile. 

i8i 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  The  fact  is,  I  find  myself  in  a  difficulty," 
he  confessed  at  last.  "  Yours  is  the  first  re- 
ply I  have  received;  people  who  can  afford 
to  send  long  telegrams  don't  rush  to  the 
advertisements  in  the  Daily  Telegraph;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  I  was  not  quite  prepared 
to  hear  from  men  like  yourselves.  Can- 
didly, and  on  consideration,  I  am  not  sure 
that  you  are  the  stamp  of  men  for  me — 
men  who  belong  to  good  clubs!  I  rather 
intended  to  appeal  to  the — er — adventurous 
classes." 

"  We  are  adventurers,"  said  Raffles 
gravely. 

"  But  you  respect  the  law?  " 

The  black  eyes  gleamed  shrewdly. 

"  We  are  not  professional  rogues,  if  that's 
what  you  mean,"  said  Raffles,  smiling.  "  But 
on  our  beam-ends  we  are;  we  would  do  a 
good  deal  for  a  thousand  pounds  apiece, 
eh,  Bunny?  " 

"  Anything,"  I  murmured. 

The  solicitor  rapped  his  desk. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  want  you  to  do. 
You  can  but  refuse.  It's  illegal,  but  it's 
illegality  in  a  good  cause;  that's  the  risk, 
182 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

and  my  client  is  prepared  to  pay  for  it.  He 
will  pay  for  the  attempt,  in  case  of  failure; 
the  money  is  as  good  as  yours  once  you  con- 
sent to  run  the  risk.  My  client  is  Sir  Ber- 
nard Debenham,  of  Broom  Hall,  Esher." 
"  I  know  his  son,"  I  remarked. 
Raffles  knew  him  too,  but  said  nothing, 
and  his  eye  drooped  disapproval  in  my  di- 
rection. Bennett  Addenbrooke  turned  to 
me. 

"  Then,"  said  he,  "  you  have  the  privi- 
lege of  knowing  one  of  the  most  complete 
young  blackguards  about  town,  and  the 
■fons  et  origo  of  the  whole  trouble.  As  you 
know  the  son,  you  may  know  the  father 
too,  at  all  events  by  reputation ;  and  in  that 
case  I  needn't  tell  you  that  he  is  a  very 
peculiar  man.  He  lives  alone  in  a  store- 
house of  treasures  which  no  eyes  but  his 
ever  behold.  He  is  said  to  have  the  finest 
collection  of  pictures  in  the  south  of  Eng- 
land, though  nobody  ever  sees  them  to 
judge;  pictures,  fiddles  and  furniture  are 
his  hobby,  and  he  is  undoubtedly  very  ec- 
centric. Nor  can  one  deny  that  there  has 
been  considerable  eccentricity  in  his  treat- 
183 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ment  of  his  son.  For  years  Sir  Bernard 
paid  his  debts,  and  the  other  day,  without 
the  sHghtest  warning,  not  only  refused  to 
do  so  any  more,  but  absolutely  stopped  the 
lad's  allowance.  Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  has 
happened;  but  first  of  all  you  must  know, 
or  you  may  remember,  that  I  appeared  for 
young  Debenham  in  a  little  scrape  he  got 
into  a  year  or  two  ago.  I  got  him  ofif  all 
right,  and  Sir  Bernard  paid  me  handsomely 
on  the  nail.  And  no  m.ore  did  I  hear  or 
see  of  either  of  them  until  one  day  last 
week." 

The  lawyer  drew  his  chair  nearer  ours, 
and  leant  forward  with  a  hand  on  either 
knee. 

"  On  Tuesday  of  last  week  I  had  a  tele- 
gram from  Sir  Bernard ;  I  was  to  go  to  him 
at  once.  I  found  him  waiting  for  me  in  the 
drive;  without  a  word  he  led  me  to  the  pic- 
ture-gallery, Avhich  was  locked  and  dark- 
ened, drew  up  a  blind,  and  stood  simply 
pointing  to  an  empty  picture-frame.  It  was 
a  long  time  before  I  could  get  a  word  out 
of  him.  Then  at  last  he  told  me  that  that 
frame  had  contained  one  of  the  rarest  and 
184 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

most  valuable  pictures  in  England — in  the 
world — an  original  Velasquez.  I  have 
checked  this,"'  said  the  lawyer,  "  and  it 
seems  literally  true;  the  picture  was  a  por- 
trait of  the  Infanta  Alaria  Teresa,  said  to  ]>_ 
one  of  the  artist's  greatest  works,  second 
only  to  another  portrait  of  one  of  the  Pope^ 
in  Rome — so  they  told  me  at  the  National 
Gallery,  where  they  had  its  history  by  heart. 
They  say  there  that  the  picture  is  practically 
priceless.  And  young  Debenham  has  sold 
it  for  five  thousand  pounds!  " 

"  The  deuce  he  has,"  said  Rafifles. 

I  inquired  who  had  bought  it. 

"  A  Queensland  legislator  of  the  name  of 
Craggs — the  Hon.  John  IMontagu  Craggs, 
M.L.C.,  to  give  him  his  full  title.  Not  that 
we  knew  anything  about  him  on  Tuesday 
last;  we  didn't  even  know  for  certain  that 
young  Debenham  had  stolen  the  picture. 
But  he  had  gone  down  for  money  on  the 
Monday  evening,  had  been  refused,  and  it 
was  plain  enough  that  he  had  helped  him- 
self in  this  way;  he  had  threatened  revenge, 
and  this  was  it.  Indeed,  when  I  hunted  him 
up  in  town  on  the  Tuesday  night,  he  con- 
185 


\ 
The  Amateur  Cracksman 

fessed  as  much  in  the  most  brazen  manner 
imaginable.  But  he  wouldn't  tell  me  who 
was  the  purchaser,  and  finding  out  took  the 
rest  of  the  week;  but  I  did  find  out,  and  a 
nice  time  I've  had  of  it  ever  since!  Back- 
wards and  forwards  between  Esher  and  the 
Metropole,  where  the  Queenslander  is  stay- 
ing, sometimes  twice  a  day;  threats,  offers, 
prayers,  entreaties,  not  one  of  them  a  bit  of 
good!" 

"  But,"  said  Raffles,  "  surely  it's  a  clear 
case?  The  sale  was  illegal;  you  can  pey 
him  back  his  money  and  force  him  to  give 
the  picture  up." 

"  Exactly;  but  not  without  an  action  and 
a  public  scandal,  and  that  my  client  de- 
clines to  face.  He  would  rather  lose  even 
his  picture  than  have  the  whole  thing  get 
into  the  papers;  he  has  disowned  his  son, 
but  he  will  not  disgrace  him ;  yet  his  picture 
he  must  have  by  hook  or  crook,  and  there's 
the  rub!  I  am  to  get  it  back  by  fair  means 
or  foul.  He  gives  me  carte  blanche  in  the 
matter,  and,  I  verily  believe,  would  throw 
in  a  blank  cheque  if  asked.  He  offered 
one  to  the  Queenslander,  but  Craggs  sim- 
i86 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

ply  tore  it  in  two;  the  one  old  boy  is  as 
much  a  character  as  the  other,  and  between 
the  two  of  them  I'm  at  my  wits'  end." 

"  So  you  put  that  advertisement  in  the 
paper?  "  said  Raffles,  in  the  dry  tones  he 
had  adopted  throughout  the  interview. 

"  As  a  last  resort.    I  did." 

"  And  you  v,-ish  us  to  steal  this  picture?  " 

It  was  magnificently  said;  the  lawyer 
flushed  from  his  hair  to  his  collar. 

"I  knew  you  were  not  the  men!"  he 
groaned.  "  I  never  thought  of  m.en  of  your 
stamp!  But  it's  not  stealing,"  he  exclaimed 
heatedly;  "it's  recovering  stolen  property. 
Besides,  Sir  Bernard  will  pay  him  his  five 
thousand  as  soon  as  he  has  the  picture;  and, 
you'll  see,  old  Craggs  will  be  just  as  loth 
to  let  it  come  out  as  Sir  Bernard  himself. 
No,  no — it's  an  enterprise,  an  adventure,  if 
you  like — but  not  stealing." 

"  You  yourself  mentioned  the  law,"  mur- 
mured Raffles, 

"  And  the  risk,"  I  added. 

"  We  pay  for  that,"  he  said  once  more. 

"  But  not  enough,"  said  Raffles,  shaking 
his  head.     "  My  good  sir,  consider  what  it 
187 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

means  to  ns.  You  spoke  of  those  clubs; 
we  should  not  only  get  kicked  out  of  them, 
but  put  in  prison  like  common  burglars! 
It's  true  we're  hard  up,  but  it  simply  isn't 
worth  it  at  the  price.  Double  your  stakes, 
and  I  for  one  am  your  man." 

Addenbrooke  wavered. 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  bring  it  off?  " 

"  We  could  try." 

"  But  you  have  no " 

"  Experience?  Well,  hardly!  " 

"  And  you  would  really  run  the  risk  for 
four  thousand  pounds?" 

Raffles  looked  at  me,    I  nodded. 

"  We  would,"  said  he,  "  and  blow  the 
odds!" 

"  It's  more  than  I  can  ask  my  client  to 
pay,"  said  Addenbrooke,  growing  firm. 

"  Then  it's  more  than  you  can  expect  us 
to  risk." 

"  You  are  in  earnest?  " 

"God  wot!" 

"  Say  three  thousand  if  you  succeed!  " 

"  Four  is  our  figure,  Mr.  Addenbrooke." 

"  Then  I  think  it  should  be  nothing  if 
you  fail." 

188 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

"Doubles  or  quits?"  cried  Raffles. 
'^  Well,  that's  sporting.     Done!" 

Addenbrooke  opened  his  lips,  half  rose, 
then  sat  back  in  his  chair,  and  looked  long 
ana  shrewdly  at  Raffles — never  once  at  me, 

"  I  know  your  bowHng,"  said  he  reflec- 
tively. "  I  go  up  to  Lord's  whenever  I  want 
an  hour's  real  rest,  and  I've  seen  you  bowl 
again  and  again — yes,  and  take  the  best 
wickets  in  England  on  a  plumb  pitch.  I 
don't  forget  the  last  Gentleman  and  Play- 
ers; I  was  there.  You're  up  to  every  trick 
—every  one  .  .  .  I'm  inclined  to  think 
that  if  anybody  could  bowl  out  this  old 
Australian  .  .  .  Damme,  I  believe 
you're  my  very  man !  "     .     .     . 

The  bargain  was  clinched  at  the  Cafe 
Royal,  where  Bennett  Addenbrooke  in- 
sisted on  playing  host  at  an  extravagant 
luncheon.  I  remember  that  he  took  his 
whack  of  champagne  with  the  nervous  free- 
dom of  a  man  at  high  pressure,  and  have 
no  doubt  I  kept  him  in  countenance  by  an 
equal  indulgence;  but  Raffles,  ever  an  ex- 
emplar in  such  matters,  was  more  abstemi- 
ous even  than  his  wont,  and  very  poor  com< 
189 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

pany  to  boot.  I  can  see  him  now,  his  eyes 
in  his  plate — thinking — thinking.  I  can  see 
the  sohcitor  glancing  from  him  to  me  in  an 
apprehension  of  which  I  did  my  best  to 
disabuse  him  by  reassuring  looks.  At  the 
close  Raffles  apologized  for  his  preoccupa- 
tion, called  for  an  A.B.C.  time-table,  and  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  catching  the  3.2 
to  Esher. 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  Mr.  Adden- 
brooke,"  said  he,  "  but  I  have  my  own  idea, 
and  for  the  moment  I  should  much  prefer 
to  keep  it  to  myself.  It  may  end  in  fizzle,  so 
I  would  rather  not  speak  about  it  to  either 
of  you  just  yet.  But  speak  to  Sir  Bernard 
I  must,  so  will  you  write  me  one  line  to 
him  on  your  card?  Of  course,  if  you  wish, 
you  must  come  down  with  me  and  hear  what 
I  say;  but  I  really  don't  see  much  point  in 
it."  ' 

And  as  usual  Raffles  had  his  way,  though 
Bennett  Addenbrooke  showed  some  temper 
when  he  was  gone,  and  I  myself  shared  his 
annoyance  to  no  small  extent.  I  could  only 
tell  him  that  it  was  in  the  nature  of  Raffles 
to  be  self-willed  and  secretive,  but  that  no 
190 


Raffles  announced  his  intention  of  catching  the  3.2  to  Esher. 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

man  of  my  acquaintance  had  half  his  au- 
dacity and  determination ;  that  I  for  my  part 
would  trust  him  through  and  through,  and 
let  him  gang  his  own  gait  every  time.  More 
I  dared  not  say,  even  to  remove  those  chill 
misgivings  with  which  I  knew  that  the  law- 
yer went  his  way. 

That  day  I  saw  no  more  of  Raffles,  but 
a  telegram  reached  me  when  I  was  dressing 
for  dinner: — 

"  Be  in  your  rooms  to-morrow  from  noon  and 
keep  rest  of  day  clear,  Raffles." 

It  had  been  sent  off  from  Waterloo  at 
6.42. 

So  Raffles  was  back  in  town ;  at  an  earlier 
stage  of  our  relations  I  should  have  hunted 
him  up  then  and  there,  but  now  I  knew 
better.  His  telegram  meant  that  he  had  no 
desire  for  my  society  that  night  or  the  fol- 
lowing forenoon;  that  when  he  wanted  me 
I  should  see  him  soon  enough. 

And  see  him  I  did,  towards  one  o'clock 
next  day.  I  was  watching  for  him  from 
my  window  in  Mount  Street,  when  he  drove 
up  furiously  in  a  hansom,  and  jumped  out 

lOI 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

without  a  word  to  the  man.  I  met  him 
next  minute  at  the  Hft  gates,  and  he  fairly 
pushed  me  back  into  my  rooms. 

"  Five  minutes,  Bunny!  "  he  cried.  "  Not 
a  moment  more." 

And  he  tore  off  his  coat  before  flinging 
himself  into  the  nearest  chair. 

"I'm  fairly  on  the  rush,"  he  panted; 
"having  the  very  devil  of  a  time!  Not  a 
word  till  I  tell  you  all  I've  done.  I  settled 
my  plan  of  campaign  yesterday  at  lunch. 
The  first  thing  was  to  get  in  with  this  man 
Craggs;  you  can't  break  into  a  place  like 
the  Metropole,  it's  got  to  be  done  from  the 
inside.  Problem  one,  how  to  get  at  the 
fellow.  Only  one  sort  of  pretext  would  do 
— it  must  be  something  to  do  with  this 
blessed  picture,  so  that  I  might  see  where 
he'd  got  it  and  all  that.  Well,  I  couldn't 
go  and  ask  to  see  it  out  of  curiosity,  and  I 
couldn't  go  as  a  second  representative  of  the 
other  old  chap,  and  it  was  thinking  how 
I  could  go  that  made  me  such  a  bear  at 
lunch.  But  I  saw  my  way  before  we  got 
up.  If  I  could  only  lay  hold  of  a  copy  of 
the  picture  I  might  ask  leave  to  go  and  com-- 
192 


I 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

pare  it  with  the  original.  So  down  I  vrenl 
to  Esher  to  find  out  if  there  was  a  copy  in 
existence,  and  was  at  Broom  Hall  for  one 
hour  and  a  half  yesterday  afternoon.  There 
was  no  copy  there,  but  they  must  exist,  for 
Sir  Bernard  himself  (there's  '  copy '  there!) 
has  allowed  a  couple  to  be  made  since  the 
picture  has  been  in  his  possession.  He 
hunted  up  the  painters'  addresses,  and  the 
rest  of  the  evening  I  spent  in  hunting  up 
the  painters  themselves;  but  their  work  had 
been  done  on  commission;  one  copy  had 
gone  out  of  the  country,  and  I'm  still  on 
the  track  of  the  other." 

"  Then  you  haven't  seen  Craggs  yet?  " 
"  Seen  him  and  made  friends  with  him, 
and  if  possible  he's  the  funnier  old  cuss  of 
the  two;  but  you  should  study  'em  both.  I 
took  the  bull  by  the  horns  this  morning; 
went  in  and  lied  like  Ananias,  and  it  was 
just  as  well  I  did — the  old  ruffian  sails  for 
Australia  by  to-morrow's  boat.  I  told  him 
a  man  wanted  to  sell  me  a  copy  of  the  cele 
brated  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  of  Velasquez, 
that  I'd  been  down  to  the  supposed  owner 
of  the  picture,  only  to  find  that  he  had  just 
1 93 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

sold  it  to  him.  You  should  have  seen  his 
face  when  I  told  him  that!  He  grinned  all 
round  his  wicked  old  head.  *  Did  old  Deben- 
ham  admit  the  sale?'  says  he;  and  when  I 
said  he  had  he  chuckled  to  himself  for  about 
five  minutes.  He  was  so  pleased  that  he 
did  just  what  I  hoped  he  would  do;  he 
showed  me  the  great  picture — luckily  it 
isn't  by  any  means  a  large  one — also  the 
case  he's  got  it  in.  It's  an  iron  map-case 
in  which  he  brought  over  the  plans  of  his 
land  in  Brisbane;  he  wants  to  know  who 
would  suspect  it  of  containing  an  Old  Mas- 
ter, too?  But  he's  had  it  fitted  with  a  new 
Chubb's  lock,  and  I  managed  to  take  an 
interest  in  the  key  while  he  was  gloating 
over  the  canvas.  I  had  the  wax  in  the  palm 
of  my  hand,  and  I  shall  make  my  duplicate 
this  afternoon." 

Raffles  looked  at  his  watch  and  jumped 
up  saying  he  had  given  me  a  minute  too 
much. 

"  By  the  way,"  he  added,  "  you've  got  to 
dine  with  him  at  the  Metropole  to-night!  " 

"  I? " 

"  Yes;  don't  look  so  scared.    Both  of  us 
Tg4 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

are  invited — I  swore  you  were  dining  with' 
me.  I  accepted  for  us  both;  but  I  sha'n't 
be  there." 

^His  clear  eye  was  upon  me,  bright  with 
meaning  and  with  mischief.  I  implored  him 
to  tell  me  what  his  meaning  was. 

"  You  will  dine  in  his  private  sitting- 
room,"  said  Raffles;  "it  adjoins  his  bed- 
room. You  must  keep  him  sitting  as  long 
as  possible,  Bunny,  and  talking  all  the 
time!" 

In  a  flash  I  saw  his  plan. 

"  You're  going  for  the  picture  while 
we're  at  dinner?" 

"  I  am." 

"If  he  hears  you!" 

"  He  sha'n't." 

"But  if  he  does!" 

And  I  fairly  trembled  at  the  thought. 

"If  he  does,"  said  Raffles,  "  there  will 
be  a  collision,  that's  all.  Revolver  would 
be  out  of  place  in  the  Metropole,  but  I  shall 
certainly  take  a  life-preserver." 

"  But  it's  ghastly!  "  I  cried.    "  To  sit  and 
talk  to  an  utter  stranger  and  to  know  that 
you're  at  work  in  the  next  room! " 
195 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Two  thousand  apiece,"  said  Raffles, 
quietly. 

"  Upon  my  soul  I  believe  I  shall  give  it 
avi-ay !  " 

"  Not  you,  Bunny.  I  know  you  better 
than  you  know  yourself." 

He  put  on  his  coat  and  his  hat. 

"  What  time  have  I  to  be  there?  "  I  asked 
him,  with  a  groan. 

"  Quarter  to  eight.  There  will  be  a  tele- 
gram from  me  saying  I  can't  turn  up.  He's 
a  terror  to  talk,  you'll  have  no  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  ball  rolling;  but  head  him  off 
his  picture  for  all  you're  worth.  If  he 
offers  to  show  it  you,  say  you  must  go. 
He  locked  up  the  case  elaborately  this 
afternoon,  and  there's  no  earthly  reason 
why  he  should  unlock  it  again  in  this 
hemisphere." 

"  Where  shall  I  find  you  when  I  get 
away?  " 

"  I  shall  be  down  at  Esher.  I  hope  to 
catch  the  9.55." 

"  But  surely  I  can  see  you  again  this 
afternoon?  "  I  cried  in  a  ferment,  for  his 
hand  was  on  the  door.  "  I'm  not  half 
196 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

coached  up  yet!  I  know  I  shall  make  a 
mess  of  it! " 

"  Not  you,"  he  said  again,  "  but  /  shall 
if  I  waste  any  more  time.  I've  got  a  deuce 
of  a  lot  of  rushing  about  to  do  yet.  You 
won't  find  me  at  my  rooms.  Why  not  come 
down  to  Esher  yourself  by  the  last  train? 
That's  it — down  you  come  with  the  latest 
news!  I'll  tell  old  Debenham  to  expect 
you:  he  shall  give  us  both  a  bed.  By  Jove! 
he  won't  be  able  to  do  us  too  well  if  he's 
got  his  picture." 

"  If! "  I  groaned  as  he  nodded  his  adieu; 
and  he  left  me  limp  with  apprehension,  sick 
with  fear,  in  a  perfectly  pitiable  condition 
of  pure  stage-fright. 

For,  after  all,  I  had  only  to  act  my  part; 
unless  Raffles  failed  w^here  he  never  did  fail, 
unless  Raffles  the  neat  and  noiseless  was  for 
once  clumsy  and  inept,  all  I  had  to  do  was 
indeed  to  "  smile  and  smile  and  be  a  vil- 
lain." I  practised  that  smile  half  the  after- 
noon. I  rehearsed  putative  parts  in  hypo- 
thetical conversations.  I  got  up  stories.  1 
dipped  in  a  book  on  Queensland  at  the  club. 
And  at  last  it  was  7.45,  and  I  was  making 
197 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

my  bow  to  a  somewhat  elderly  man  with 
a  small  bald  head  and  a  retreating  brow. 

"  So  you're  Mr.  Raffles's  friend? "  said 
he,  overhauling  me  rather  rudely  with  his 
light  small  eyes.  "  Seen  anything  of  him? 
Expected  him  early  to  show  me  something, 
but  he's  never  come." 

No  more,  evidently,  had  his  telegram,  and 
my  troubles  were  beginning  early.  I  said  I 
had  not  seen  Raffles  since  one  o'clock,  tell- 
ing the  truth  with  unction  while  I  could; 
even  as  we  spoke  there  came  a  knock  at 
the  door;  it  was  the  telegram  at  last,  and, 
after  reading  it  himself,  the  Queenslander 
handed  it  to  me. 

"Called  out  of  town!"  he  grumbled. 
"Sudden  illness  of  near  relative!  What 
near  relatives  has  he  got?" 

I  knew  of  none,  and  for  an  instant  I 
quailed  before  the  perils  of  invention;  then 
I  replied  that  I  had  never  met  any  of  his 
people,  and  again  felt  fortified  by  my  verac- 
ity. 

"Thought  you  were  bosom  pals?"  said 
he,  with  (as  I  imagined)  a  gleam  of  sus- 
picion in  his  crafty  little  eyes. 
198 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

"  Only  in  town,"  said  I.  "  I've  never 
been  to  his  place." 

"  Well,"  he  growled,  "  I  suppose  it  can't 
be  helped.  Don't  know  why  he  couldn't 
come  and  have  his  dinner  first.  Like  to  see 
the  death-bed  Fd  go  to  without  my  dinner; 
it's  a  full-skin  billet,  if  you  ask  me.  Well, 
must  just  dine  without  him,  and  he'll  have 
to  buy  his  pig  in  a  poke  after  all.  Mind 
touching  that  bell?  Suppose  you  know 
what  he  came  to  see  me  about?  Sorry  I 
sha'n't  see  him  again,  for  his  own  sake.  I 
liked  Rafifles — took  to  him  amazingly.  He's 
a  cynic.  Like  cynics.  One  myself.  RanK 
bad  form  of  his  mother  or  his  aunt,  and  I 
hope  she  will  go  and  kick  the  bucket," 

I  connect  these  specimens  of  his  conver- 
sation, though  they  were  doubtless  detached 
at  the  time,  and  interspersed  with  remarks 
of  mine  here  and  there.  They  filled  the 
interval  until  dinner  was  served,  and  th.ey 
gave  me  an  impression  of  the  man  which 
his  every  subsequent  utterance  confirmed. 
It  was  an  impression  which  did  away  with 
all  remorse  for  my  treacherous  presence  at 
his  table.  He  was  that  terrible  type,  the 
199 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

Silly  Cynic,  his  aim  a  caustic  commentary 
on  all  things  and  all  men,  his  achievement 
mere  vulgar  irreverence  and  unintelligent 
scorn.  Ill-bred  and  ill-informed,  he  had  (on 
his  own  showing)  fluked  into  fortune  on  a 
rise  in  land;  yet  cunning  he  possessed,  as 
well  as  malice,  and  he  chuckled  till  he 
choked  over  the  misfortunes  of  less  astute 
speculators  in  the  same  boom.  Even  now  I 
cannot    feel    much    compunction    for    my 

\    behaviour    by   the    Hon.    J.    M.    Craggs, 

(    M.L.C. 

But  never  shall  I  forget  the  private 
agonies  of  the  situation,  the  listening  to  my 
host  with  one  ear  and  for  Raffles  with  the 
other!  Once  I  heard  him — though  the 
rooms  were  not  divided  by  the  old-fashioned 
folding-doors,  and  though  the  door  that  did 
divide  them  was  not  only  shut  but  richly 
curtained,  I  could  have  sworn  I  heard  him 
once.  I  spilt  my  wine  and  laughed  at  the 
top  of  my  voice  at  some  coarse  sally  of  my 
host's.  And  I  heard  nothing  more,  though 
my  ears  were  on  the  strain.  But  later,  to 
my  horror,  when  the  waiter  had  finally 
withdrawn,  Craggs  himself  sprang  up  and 
200 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

rushed  to  his  bedroom  without  a  word.    I 
sat  Hke  stone  till  he  returned. 

"Thought  I  heard  a  door  go,"  he  said. 
'•  Must  have  been  mistaken  .  .  .  im- 
agination .  .  .  gave  me  quite  a  turn. 
Raffles  tell  you  priceless  treasure  I  got  in 
there?" 

It  was  the  picture  at  last;  up  to  this  point 
I  had  kept  him  to  Queensland  and  the  mak- 
ing of  his  pile.  I  tried  to  get  him  back 
there  now,  but  in  vain.  He  was  reminded 
of  his  great  ill-gotten  possession.  I  said 
that  Raffles  had  just  mentioned  it,  and  that 
set  him  off.  With  the  confidential  garrulity 
of  a  man  who  has  dined  too  well,  he  plunged 
into  his  darling  topic,  and  I  looked  past  him 
at  the  clock.    It  was  only  a  quarter  to  ten. 

In  common  decency  I  could  not  go  yet. 
So  there  I  sat  (we  were  still  at  port)  and 
learnt  what  had  originally  fired  my  host's 
ambition  to  possess  what  he  was  pleased 
to  call  a  "  real,  genuine,  twin-screw,  double- 
funnelled,  copper-bottomed  Old  Master"; 
it  was  to  "  go  one  better  "  than  some  rival 
legislator  of  pictorial  proclivities.  But  even 
an  epitome  of  his  monologue  would  be  so 

201 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

much  weariness;  suffice  it  that  it  ended  in- 
evitably in  the  invitation  I  had  dreaded  all 
the  evening. 

"  But  you  must  see  it.  Next  room.  This 
way," 

"  Isn't  it  packed  up?  "  I  inquired  hastily. 

"  Lock  and  key.    That's  all." 

"  Pray  don't  trouble,"  I  urged. 

"  Trouble  be  hanged !  "  said  he.  *'  Come 
along." 

And  all  at  once  I  saw  that  to  resist  him 
further  would  be  to  heap  suspicion  upon 
myself  against  the  moment  of  impending 
discovery.  I  therefore  followed  him  into 
his  bedroom  without  further  protest,  and 
suffered  him  first  to  show  me  the  iron  map- 
case  which  stood  in  one  corner;  he  took  a 
crafty  pride  in  this  receptacle,  and  I  thought 
he  would  never  cease  descanting  on  its  in- 
nocent appearance  and  its  Chubb's  lock.  It 
seemed  an  interminable  age  before  the  key 
was  in  the  latter.  Then  the  ward  clicked, 
and  my  pulse  stood  still. 

"  By  Jove!  "  I  cried  next  instant. 

The  canvas  was  in  its  place  among  the 
maps! 

202 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

"Thought  it  would  knock  you,"  said 
Craggs,  drawing  it  out  and  unrolling  it  for 
my  benefit.  "  Grand  thing,  ain't  it? 
Wouldn't  think  it  had  been  painted  two 
hundred  and  thirty  years?  It  has,  though, 
my  word!  Old  Johnson's  face  will  be  a  treat 
v/hen  he  sees  it;  won't  go  bragging  about 
his  pictures  much  more.  Why,  this  one's 
worth  all  the  pictures  in  Colony  o'  Queens- 
land put  together.  Worth  fifty  thousand 
pounds,  my  boy — and  I  got  it  for  five!  " 

He  dug  me  in  the  ribs,  and  seemed  in  the 
mood  for  further  confidences.  My  appear- 
ance checked  him,  and  he  rubbed  his  hands. 
"  If  you  take  it  like  that,"  he  chuckled, 
"how  will  old  Johnson  take  it?  Go  out 
and  hang  himself  to  his  own  picture-rods, 
I  hope!" 

Heaven  knows  what  I  contrived  to  say  at 
last.  Struck  speechless  first  by  my  relief, 
I  continued  silent  from  a  very  different 
cause.  A  new  tangle  of  emotions  tied  my 
tongue.  Raffles  had  failed — Raffles  had 
failed!  Could  I  not  succeed?  Was  it  too 
late?    Was  there  no  way? 

"So  long,"  he  said,  taking  a  last  look 
203 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

at  the  canvas  before  he  rolled  it  up — "so 
long  till  we  get  to  Brisbane." 

The  flutter  I  was  in  as  he  closed  the  case! 

"  For  the  last  time,"  he  went  on,  as  his 
keys  jingled  back  into  his  pocket.  "  It  goes 
straight  into  the  strong-room  on  board." 

For  the  last  time!  If  I  could  but  send 
him  out  to  Australia  with  only  its  legiti- 
mate contents  in  his  precious  map-case!  If 
I  could  but  succeed  where  Raffles  had 
failed! 

We  returned  to  the  other  room.  I  have 
no  notion  how  long  he  talked,  or  what 
about.  Whisky  and  soda-water  became  the 
order  of  the  hour.  I  scarcely  touched  it, 
but  he  drank  copiously,  and  before  eleven  I 
left  him  incoherent.  And  the  last  train  for 
Esher  was  the  11.50  out  of  Waterloo. 

I  took  a  hansom  to  my  rooms.  I  was 
back  at  the  hotel  in  thirteen  minutes.  I 
walked  upstairs.  The  corridor  was  empty; 
I  stood  an  instant  on  the  sitting-room  thres- 
hold, heard  a  snore  within,  and  admitted 
myself  softly  with  my  gentleman's  own  key, 
which  it  had  been  a  very  simple  matter  to 
take  away  with  me. 

204 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

Craggs  never  moved;  he  was  stretched  on 
the  sofa  fast  asleep.  But  not  fast  enough 
for  me.  I  saturate'd  my  handkerchief  with 
the  chloroform  I  had  brought,  and  I  laid 
it  gently  over  his  mouth.  Two  or  three 
stertorous  breaths,  and  the  man  was  a  log. 

I  removed  the  handkerchief;  I  extracted 
the  keys  from  his  pocket.  In  less  than  five 
minutes  I  put  them  back,  after  winding  the 
picture  about  my  body  beneath  my  Inver- 
ness cape.  I  took  some  whisky  and  soda- 
water  before  I  went. 

The  train  was  easily  caught — so  easily 
that  I  trembled  for  ten  minutes  in  my  first- 
class  smoking  carriage — in  terror  of  every 
footstep  on  the  platform,  in  unreasonable 
terror  till  the  end.  Then  at  last  I  sat  back 
and  lit  a  cigarette,  and  the  lights  of  Water- 
loo reeled  out  behind. 

Some  men  were  returning  from  the  thea* 
tre.  I  can  recall  their  conversation  even  now. 
They  were  disappointed  with  the  piece  they 
had  seen.  It  was  one  of  the  later  Savoy 
operas,  and  they  spoke  wistfully  of  the  days 
of  "  Pinafore  "  and  "  Patience."  One  oi 
them  hummed  a  stave,  and  there  was  an 
205 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

argument  as  to  whether  the  air  was  out  of 
"Patience"  or  the  "Mikado."  They  all 
got  out  at  Surbiton,  and  I  was  alone  with 
my  triumph  for  a  few  intoxicating  minutes. 
To  think  that  I  had  succeeded  where  Raf- 
fles had  failed!  Of  all  our  adventures  this 
was  the  first  in  which  I  had  played  a  com- 
manding part;  and,  of  them  all,  this  w-as 
infinitely  the  least  discreditable.  It  left  me 
without  a  conscientious  qualm;  I  had  but 
robbed  a  robber,  when  all  was  said.  And 
I  had  done  it  myself,  single-handed — ipse 
egomet! 

I  pictured  Raffles,  his  surprise,  his  de- 
light. He  would  think  a  little  more  of  me 
in  future.  And  that  future,  it  should  be 
dififerent.  We  had  two  thousand  pounds 
apiece — surely  enough  to  start  afresh  as 
honest  men — and  all  through  me!  i 

In  a  glow  I  sprang  out  at  Esher,  and  took 
the  one  belated  cab  that  was  waiting  under 
the  bridge.  In  a  perfect  fever  I  beheld 
Broom  Hall,  with  the  lower  storey  still  lit 
up,  and  saw  the  front  door  open  as  I  climbed 
the  steps. 

"  Thought  it  was  you,"  said  Raffles  cheer- 
206 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

ily.  "  It's  all  right.  There's  a  bed  for  you. 
Sir  Bernard's  sitting  up  to  shake  your 
hand." 

-  His  good  spirits  disappointed  me.  But 
I  knew  the  man:  he  was  one  of  those  who 
wear  their  brightest  smile  in  the  blackest 
hour.  I  knew  him  too  well  by. this  time  to 
be  deceived. 

"  I've  got  it!  "  I  cried  in  his  ear.  "  I've 
got  it!" 

"  Got  what?  "  he  asked  me,  stepping  back. 

"The  picture!" 

"Whatr" 

"  The  picture.  He  showed  it  me.  You 
had  to  go  without  it;  I  saw  that.  So  I  de- 
termined to  have  it.    And  here  it  is." 

"  Let's  see,"  said  Raffles  grimly. 

I  threw  off  my  cape  and  unwound  the 
canvas  from  about  my  body.  While  I  was 
doing  so  an  untidy  old  gentleman  made  his 
appearance  in  the  hall,  and  stood  looking 
on  with  raised  eyebrows. 

"  Looks  pretty  fresh  for  an  Old  Master, 
(loesn't  she?"  said  Raffles. 

His  tone  was  strange.    I  could  only  sup- 
pose that  he  was  jealous  of  my  success. 
207 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  So  Craggs  said.  I  hardly  looked  at  it 
myself." 

"  Well,  look  now — look  closely.  By  Jove, 
I  must  have  faked  her  better  than  I 
thought!" 

"  It's  a  copy!  "  I  cried. 

"  It's  the  copy,"  he  answered.  "  It's  the 
copy  I've  been  tearing  all  over  the  country 
to  procure.  It's  the  copy  I  faked  back  and 
front,  so  that,  on  your  own  showing,  it  im- 
posed upon  Craggs,  and  might  have  made 
him  happy  for  life.  And  you  go  and  rob 
him.  of  that!  " 

I  could  not  speak. 

*'  How  did  you  manage  it?  "  inquired  Sir 
Bernard  Debenham. 

"Have  you  killed  him?"  asked  Raffles 
sardonically. 

I  did  not  look  at  him;  I  turned  to  Sir  Ber- 
nard Debenham,  and  to  him  I  told  my  story, 
hoarsely,  excitedly,  for  it  was  all  that  I  could 
do  to  keep  from  breaking  down.  But  as  I 
spoke  I  became  calmer,  and  I  finished  in 
mere  bitterness,  with  the  remark  that  an- 
other time  Rafifles  might  tell  me  what  he 
meant  to  do. 

208 


Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

"Another  time!"  he  cried  instantly. 
"  My  dear  Bunny,  you  speak  as  though 
we  were  going  to  turn  burglars  for  a  Hv- 
ing!" 

"  I  trust  you  won't,"  said  Sir  Bernard, 
smiHng,  "  for  you  are  certainly  two  very 
daring  young  men.  Let  us  hope  our  friend 
from  Queensland  will  do  as  he  said,  and 
not  open  his  map-case  till  he  gets  back 
there.  He  will  find  my  cheque  awaiting 
him,  and  I  shall  be  very  much  surprised 
if  he  troubles  any  of  us  again." 

Raffles  and  I  did  not  speak  till  I  was  in 
the  room  which  had  been  prepared  for  me. 
Nor  was  I  anxious  to  do  so  then.  But  he 
followed  me  and  took  my  hand. 

"  Bunny,"  said  he,  "  don't  you  be  hard 
on  a  fellow!  I  was  in  the  deuce  of  a  hurry, 
and  didn't  know  that  I  should  ever  get  what 
I  wanted  in  time,  and  that's  a  fact.  But  it 
serves  me  right  that  you  should  have  gone 
and  undone  one  of  the  best  things  I  ever 
did.  As  for  your  handiwork,  old  chap,  you 
won't  mind  my  saying  that  I  didn't  think 
you  had  it  in  you.    In  future " 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  about  the  future! "  I 

2Ct) 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

cried.    "  I  hate  the  whole  thing!    I'm  go- 
ing to  chuck  it  up!  " 

"So  am  I,"  said  Raffles,  "when    I've 
made  my  pile." 


aio 


THE  RETURN  MATCH 

I  HAD  turned  into  Piccadilly,  one  thick 
evening  in  the  following  l\ovcmber, 
when  my  guilty  heart  stood  still  at  the  sud- 
den grip  of  a  hand  upon  my  arm.  I 
thought — I  was  always  thinking — that  my 
inevitable  hour  was  come  at  last.  It  was 
only  Raffles,  however,  who  stood  smiling  at 
me  through  the  fog. 

"  Well  met!  "  said  he.  "  I've  been  look- 
ing for  you  at  the  club." 

"  I  was  just  on  my  way  there,"  I  re- 
turned, w^th  an  attempt  to  hide  my  tremors. 
It  w^as  an  ineffectual  attempt,  as  I  saw  from 
his  broader  smile,  and  by  the  indulgent 
shake  of  his  head. 

"  Come  up  to  my  place  instead,"  said  he. 
"  I've  something  amusing  to  tell  you." 

I  made  excuses,  for  his  tone  foretold  the 
kind  of  amusement,  and  it  was  a  kind 
against  which  I  had  successfully  set  my 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

face  for  months.  I  have  stated  before, 
however,  and  I  can  but  reiterate,  that  to  me, 
at  all  events,  there  was  never  anybody  in  the 
world  so  irresistible  as  Raffles  when  his 
mind  was  made  up.  That  we  had  both  been 
independent  of  crime  since  our  little  serv- 
ice to  Sir  Bernard  Debenham — that  there 
had  been  no  occasion  for  that  masterful 
mind  to  be  made  up  in  any  such  direction 
for  many  a  day — was  the  undeniable  basis 
of  a  longer  spell  of  honesty  than  I  had 
hitherto  enjoyed  during  the  term  of  our 
mutual  intimacy.  Be  sure  I  would  deny  it 
if  I  could;  the  very  thing  I  am  to  tell  you 
would  discredit  such  a  boast.  I  made  my 
excuses,  as  I  have  said.  But  his  arm  slid 
through  mine,  with  his  little  laugh  of  light- 
hearted  mastery.  And  even  while  I  argued 
we  were  on  his  staircase  in  the  Albany. 

His  fire  had  fallen  low.  He  poked  and 
replenished  it  after  lighting  the  gas.  As 
for  me,  I  stood  by  sullenly  in  my  overcoat 
until  he  dragged  it  off  my  back. 

"  What  a  chap  you  are !  "  said  Raffles 
playfully.  "  One  would  really  think  I  had 
proposed  to  crack  another  crib  this  blessed 

212 


The  Return  Match 

night!  Well,  it  isn't  that,  Bunny;  so  get 
into  that  chair,  and  take  one  of  these  SuUi- 
vans  and  sit  tight." 

He  held  the  match  to  my  cigarette;  he 
brought  me  a  whisky  and  soda.  Then  he 
went  out  into  the  lobby,  and,  just  as  I  was 
beginning  to  feel  happy,  I  heard  a  bolt  shot 
home.  It  cost  me  an  effort  to  remain  in 
that  chair;  next  moment  he  was  straddling 
another  and  gloating  over  my  discomfiture 
across  his  folded  arms. 

"  You  remember  Milchester,  Bunny,  old 
boy?" 

His  tone  was  as  bland  as  mine  was  grim 
when  I  answered  that  I  did. 

"  We  had  a  little  match  there  that  wasn't 
down  on  the  card.  Gentlemen  and  Players, 
if  you  recollect  ?  " 

"  I  don't  forget  it." 

"  Seeing  that  you  never  got  an  innings,, 
so  to  speak,  I  thought  you  might.  Wellv 
the  Gentlemen  scored  pretty  freely,  but  the 
Players  were  all  caught." 

"  Poor  devils !  " 

"  Don't  be  too  sure.  You  remember  the 
fellow  we  saw  in  the  inn  ?  The  florid,  over- 
213 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

dressed  chap  who  I  told  you  was  one  of  the 
cleverest  thieves  in  town  ?  " 

"  I  remember  him.  Crawshay  his  name 
turned  out  to  be." 

"  Well,  it  was  certainly  the  name  he  was 
convicted  under,  so  Crawshay  let  it  be. 
You  needn't  waste  any  pity  on  him,  old 
chap ;  he  escaped  from  Dartmoor  yesterday 
afternoon." 

"Well  dene!" 

Raffles  smiled,  but  his  eyebrows  had  gone 
up,  and  his  shoulders  followed  suit. 

"  You  are  perfectly  right ;  it  was  very 
well  done  indeed.  I  wonder  you  didn't  see 
it  in  the  paper.  In  a  dense  fog  on  the 
moor  yesterday  good  old  Crawshay  made  a 
bolt  for  it,  and  got  away  without  a  scratch 
under  heavy  fire.  All  honour  to  him,  I 
agree ;  a  fellow  with  that  much  grit  deserves 
his  liberty.  But  Crawshay  has  a  good  deal 
more.  They  hunted  him  all  night  long; 
couldn't  find  him  for  nuts ;  and  that  was 
all  you  missed  in  the  morning  papers." 

He  unfolded  a  Pall  Mall,  which  he  had 
'brought  in  with  him. 

"  But  listen  to  this ;  here's  an  account  of 
214 


The  Return  Match 

the  escape,  with  just  the  addition  which  puts 
the  thing  on  a  higher  level.  '  The  fugitive 
has  been  traced  to  Totnes,  where  he  appears 
to  have  committed  a  peculiarly  daring  out- 
rage in  the  early  hours  of  this  morning.  He 
is  reported  to  have  entered  the  lodgings  of 
the  Rev.  A.  H.  Ellingworth,  curate  of  the 
parish,  who  missed  his  clothes  on  rising  at 
the  usual  hour ;  later  in  the  morning  those  of 
the  convict  were  discovered  neatly  folded  at 
the  bottom  of  a  drawer.  Meanwhile  Craw- 
shay  had  made  good  his  second  escape, 
though  it  is  believed  that  so  distinctive  a 
guise  will  lead  to  his  recapture  during  the 
day.'     What  do  you  think  of  that.  Bunny  ?  " 

"  He  is  certainly  a  sportsman,"  said  I, 
reaching  for  the  paper. 

"  He's  more,"  said  Raffles ;  "  he's  an  art- 
ist, and  I  envy  him.  The  curate,  of  all  men ! 
Beautiful — beautiful !  But  that's  not  all.  I 
saw  just  now  on  the  board  at  the  club  that 
there's  been  an  outrage  on  the  line  near 
Dawlish.  Parson  found  insensible  in  the 
six-foot  way.  Our  friend  again !  The  tel- 
egram doesn't  say  so,  but  it's  obvious;  he's 
simply  knocked  some  other  fellow  out, 
215 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

changed  clothes  again,  and  come  on  gaily 
to  town.  Isn't  it  great?  I  do  believe  it's 
the  best  thing  of  the  kind  that's  ever  been 
done!" 

"  But  why  should  he  come  to  town?  " 

In  an  instant  the  enthusiasm  faded  from 
Raffles's  face;  clearly  I  had  reminded  him 
of  some  prime  anxiety,  forgotten  in  his  im- 
personal joy  over  the  exploit  of  a  fellow- 
criminal.  He  looked  over  his  shoulder  to- 
wards the  lobby  before  replying. 

"  I  believe,"  said  he,  "  that  the  beggar's 
on  my  tracks !  " 

And  as  he  spoke  he  was  himself  again — 
quietly  amused — cynically  unperturbed — 
characteristically  enjoying  the  situation 
and  my  surprise. 

"  But  look  here,  what  do  you  mean  ? " 
said  I.  "  What  does  Crawshay  know 
about  you  ?  " 

"  Not  much ;  but  he  suspects." 

"Why  should  he?" 

"  Because,  in  his  way  he's  very  nearly  as 
good  a  man  as  I  am ;  because,  my  dear  Bun- 
ny, with  eyes  in  his  head  and  brains  behind 
them,  he  couldn't  help  suspecting.  He  saw 
216 


The  Return  Match 

me  once  in  town  with  old  Baird.  He  must 
have  seen  me  that  day  in  the  pub.  on  the 
way  to  Milchester,  as  well  as  afterwards  on 
thd.  cricket-field.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I 
know  he  did,  for  he  wrote  and  told  me  so 
before  his  trial." 

"  He  wrote  to  you !     And  you  never  told 
me!" 

The  old  shrug  answered  the  old  griev- 
ance. 

"  What  was  the  good,  my  dear  fellow  ? 
It  would  only  have  worried  you." 

"Well,  what  did  he  say?" 

"  That  he  was  sorry  he  had  been  run  in 
before  getting  back  to  town,  as  he  had  pro- 
posed doing  himself  the  honour  of  paying 
me  a  call ;  however,  he  trusted  it  was  only  a 
pleasure  deferred,  and  he  begged  me  not  to 
go  and  get  lagged  myself  before  he  came 
out.  Of  course  he  knew  the  Melrose  neck- 
lace was  gone,  though  he  hadn't  got  it ;  and 
he  said  that  the  man  who  could  take  that 
and  leave  the  rest  was  a  man  after  his  own 
heart.  And  so  on,  with  certain  little  pro- 
posals for  the  far  future,  which  I  fear  may 
be  the  very  near  future  indeed!  I'm  only 
surprised  he  hasn't  turned  up  yet." 
217 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

He  looked  again  towards  the  lobby,  which 
he  had  left  in  darkness,  with  the  inner  door 
shut  as  carefully  as  the  outer  one.  I  asked 
him  what  he  meant  to  do. 

"  Let  him  knock — if  he  gets  so  far.  The 
porter  is  to  say  I'm  out  of  town;  it  will  be 
true,  too,  in  another  hour  or  so." 

"  You're  going  off  to-night  ?  " 

"By  the  7.15  from  Liverpool  Street.  I 
don't  say  much  about  my  people.  Bunny,  but 
I  have  the  best  of  sisters  married  to  a  coun- 
try parson  in  the  eastern  counties.  They 
always  make  me  welcome,  and  let  me  read 
the  lessons  for  the  sake  of  getting  me  to 
church.  I'm  sorry  you  won't  be  there  to 
hear  me  on  Sunday,  Bunny.  I've  figured 
out  some  of  my  best  schemes  in  that  parish, 
and  I  know  of  no  better  port  in  a  storm. 
But  I  must  pack.  I  thought  I'd  just  let 
you  know  where  I  was  going,  and  why,  in 
case  you  cared  to  follow  my  example." 

He  flung  the  stump  of  his  cigarette  into 
the  fire,  stretched  himself  as  he  rose,  and 
remained  so  long  in  the  inelegant  attitude 
that  my  eyes  mounted  from  his  body  to  his 
face;  a  second  later  they  had  followed  his 
218 


The  Return  Match 

eye^  across  the  room,  and  I  also  was  on  my 
legs.  On  the  threshold  of  the  folding 
doors  that  divided  bedroom  and  sitting- 
room,  a  well-built  man  stood  in  ill-fitting 
broadcloth,  and  bowed  to  us  until  his  bullet 
head  presented  an  unbroken  disc  of  short 
red  hair. 

Brief  as  was  my  survey  of  this  astound- 
ing apparition,  the  interval  was  long  enough 
for  Raffles  to  recover  his  composure;  his 
hands  were  in  his  pockets,  and  a  smile  upon 
his  face,  when  my  eyes  flew  back  to  him. 

"  Let  me  introduce  you,  Bunny,"  said  he, 
*'  to  our  distinguished  colleague,  Mr.  Regi- 
nald Crawshay." 

The  bullet  head  bobbed  up,  and  there 
was  a  wrinkled  brow  above  the  coarse, 
shaven  face,  crimson  also,  I  remember,  from 
the  grip  of  a  collar  several  sizes  too  small. 
But  I  noted  nothing  consciously  at  the  time. 
I  had  jumped  to  my  own  conclusion,  and 
I  turned  on  Raffles  with  an  oath. 

"  It's  a  trick !  "  I  cried.  "  It's  another  of 
your  cursed  tricks !  You  got  him  here,  and 
then  you  got  me.  You  want  me  to  join 
you,  I  suppose?    I'll  see  you  damned!  '* 

2IQ 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

So  cold  was  the  stare  which  met  this  out- 
burst that  I  became  ashamed  of  my  words 
while  they  were  yet  upon  my  lips. 

"Really,  Bunny!"  said  Raffles,  and 
turned  his  shoulder  with  a  shrug. 

"  Lord  love  yer,"  cried  Crawshay,  "  'e 
knew  nothin'.  '£  didn't  expect  me ;  'e's  all 
right.  And  you're  the  cool  canary,  you 
are,"  he  went  on  to  Raffles.  "  I  knoo  you 
were,  but,  do  me  proud,  you're  one  after 
my  own  kidney !  "  And  he  thrust  out  a 
shaggy  hand. 

"After  that,"  said  Raffles,  taking  it, 
"  what  am  I  to  say  ?  But  you  must  have 
heard  my  opinion  of  you.  I  am  proud  to 
make  your  acquaintance.  How  the  deuce 
did  you  get  in  ?  " 

"  Never  you  mind,"  said  Crawshay, 
loosening  his  collar;  "let's  talk  about  how 
I'm  to  get  out.  Lord  love  yer,  but  that's 
better !  "  There  was  a  livid  ring  round  his 
bull-neck,  that  he  fingered  tenderly. 
"  Didn't  know  how  much  longer  I  might 
have  to  play  the  gent,"  he  explained; 
"  didn't  know  who  you'd  bring  in." 

"  Drink  whisky  and  soda? "  inquired 
220 


The  Return  Match 

Raffles,  when  the  convict  was  in  the  chair 
from  which  I  had  leapt. 

"  No,  I  drink  it  neat,"  repHed  Crawshay, 
"  blit  I  talk  business  first.  You  don't  get 
over  me  like  that.  Lor'  love  yer !  " 

"  Well,  then,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  You  know  without  me  tellin'  you." 

"  Give  it  a  name." 

"  Clean  heels,  then ;  that's  what  I  want  to 
show,  and  I  leaves  the  way  to  you.  We're 
brothers  in  arms,  though  I  ain't  armed  this 
time.  It  ain't  necessary.  You've  too  much 
sense.  But  brothers  we  are,  and  3'ou'll  see 
a  brother  through.  Let's  put  it  at  that. 
You'll  see  me  through  in  yer  own  way.  I 
leaves  it  all  to  you." 

His  tone  was  rich  with  conciliation  and 
concession ;  he  bent  over  and  tore  a  pair  of 
button  boots  from  his  bare  feet,  which  he 
stretched  towards  the  fire,  painfully  uncurl- 
ing his  toes. 

"  I  hope  you  take  a  larger  size  than 
them,"  said  he.  "  I'd  have  had  a  see  if 
you'd  given  me  time.  I  wasn't  in  long 
afore  you." 

"  And  you  won't  tell  me  how  you  got 
in?" 

221 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Wot's  the  use  ?  I  can't  teach  yon 
nothin'.  Besides,  I  want  out.  I  want  out 
of  London,  an'  England,  an'  bloomin' 
Europe  too.  That's  all  I  want  of  you,  mis- 
ter. I  don't  arst  how  you  go  on  the  job. 
You  know  w'ere  I  come  from,  'cos  I  'card 
you  say;  you  know  w'ere  I  want  to  'ead  for, 
'cos  I've  just  told  yer;  the  details  I  leaves 
entirely  to  you." 

"  Well,"  said  Raffles,  "  we  must  see  what 
can  be  done." 

"  We  must,"  said  ]\Ir.  Crawshay,  and 
leaned  back  comfortably,  and  began  twirl- 
ing his  stubby  thumbs. 

Raffles  turned  to  me  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye;  but  his  forehead  was  scored  with 
thought,  and  resolve  mingled  with  resigna- 
tion in  the  lines  of  his  mouth.  And  he 
spoke  exactly  as  though  he  and  I  were 
alone  in  the  room. 

"You  seize  the  situation,  Bunny?  If 
our  friend  here  is  '  copped,'  to  speak  his 
language,  he  means  to  '  blow  the  gafif '  on 
you  and  me.  He  is  considerate  enough  not 
to  say  so  in  so  many  words,  but  it's  plain 
enough,  and  natural  enough  for  that  matter, 

232 


The  Return  Match 

I  would  do  the  same  in  his  place.  We  had 
the  bulge  before ;  he  has  it  now ;  it's  perfect- 
ly fair.  We  must  take  on  this  job;  we 
aren't  in  a  position  to  refuse  it;  even  if  we 
were,  I  should  take  it  on !  Our  friend  is  a 
great  sportsman ;  he  has  got  clear  away 
from  Dartmoor;  it  would  be  a  thousand 
pities  to  let  him  go  back.  Nor  shall  he; 
not  if  I  can  think  of  a  way  of  getting  him 
abroad." 

"  Any  way  you  like,"  murmured  Craw- 
shay,  with  his  eyes  shut.  "  I  leaves  the  'ole 
thing  to  you." 

"  But  you'll  have  to  wake  up  and  tell  us 
things." 

"  All  right,  mister ;  but  I'm  fair  on  the 
rocks  for  a  sleep !  " 

And  he  stood  up,  blinking. 

"Think  you  were  traced  to  town?" 

"  Must  have  been." 

"And  here?" 

"  Not  in  this  fog — not  with  any  luck." 

Raffles  went  into  the  bedroom,  lit  the  ga« 
there,  and  returned  next  minute. 

"  So  you  got  in  by  the  window  ?  '* 

"  That's  about  it." 

22.7. 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  It  was  devilish  smart  of  you  to  know 
which  one;  it  beats  me  how  you  brought  it 
off  in  dayHght,  fog  or  no  fog!  But  let 
that  pass.  You  don't  think  you  were 
seen  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  it,  sir." 

"  Well,  let's  hope  you  are  right.  I  shall 
reconnoitre  and  soon  find  out.  And  you'd 
better  come  too,  Bunny,  and  have  some- 
thing to  eat  and  talk  it  over." 

As  Raffles  looked  at  me,  I  looked  at 
Crawshay,  anticipating  trouble;  and 
trouble  brewed  in  his  blank,  fierce  face,  in 
the  glitter  of  his  startled  eyes,  in  the  sud- 
den closing  of  his  fists. 

"  And  what's  to  become  o'  me?  "  he  cried 
out  with  an  oath. 

"  You  wait  here." 

"  No,  you  don't,"  he  roared,  and  at  a 
bound  had  his  back  to  the  door.  "  You 
don't  get  round  me  like  that,  you  cuckoos !  " 

Raffles  turned  to  me  with  a  twitch  of  the 
shoulders. 

"  That's  the  worst  of  these  professors," 
said  he :  "  they  never  will  use  their  heads. 
They  see  the  pegs,  and  they  mean  to  hit  'em ; 
224 


The  Return  Match 

but  that's  all  they  do  see  and  mean,  and 
they  think  we're  the  same.  No  wonder  we 
licked  them  last  time !  " 

"Don't  talk  through  yer  neck,"  snarled 
the  convict.  "  Talk  out  straight,  curse 
you ! " 

"Right,"  said  Raffles.  "I'll  talk  as 
straight  as  you  like.  You  say  you  put 
yourself  in  my  hands — you  leave  it  all  to 
me — yet  you  don't  trust  me  an  inch!  I 
know  what's  to  happen  if  I  fail.  I  accept 
the  risk.  I  take  this  thing  on.  Yet  you 
think  I'm  going  straight  out  to  give  you 
away  and  make  you  give  me  away  in  my 
turn.  You're  a  fool,  Mr.  Crawshay, 
though  you  have  broken  Dartmoor;  you've 
got  to  listen  to  a  better  man,  and  obey  him. 
I  see  you  through  in  my  own  way,  or  not  at 
all.  I  come  and  go  as  I  like,  and  with  whom 
I  like,  without  your  interference;  you  stay 
here  and  lie  just  as  low  as  you  know  how, 
be  as  wise  as  your  word,  and  leave  the 
whole  thing  to  me.  If  you  won't — if  you're 
fool  enough  not  to  trust  me — there's  the 
door.  Go  out  and  say  what  you  like,  and 
be  damned  to  you !  " 

225 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

Crawsliay  slapped  his  thigh. 

"  That's  talking!  "  said  he.  "  Lord  love 
yer,  I  know  where  I  am  when  you  talk 
like  that.  I'll  trust  yer.  I  know  a  man 
when  he  get's  his  tongue  between  his  teeth ; 
you're  all  right.  I  don't  say  so  much  about 
this  other  gent,  though  I  saw  him  along 
with  you  on  the  job  that  time  in  the  prov- 
inces; but  if  he's  a  pal  of  yours,  Mr. 
Raffles,  he'll  be  all  right  too.  I  only  hope 
you  gents  ain't  too  stony " 

And  he  touched  his  pockets  with  a  rueful 
face. 

"  I  only  went  for  their  togs,"  said  he. 
"  You  never  struck  two  such  stony-broke 
cusses  in  yer  life !  " 

"  That's  all  right,"  said  Raffles.  "  We'll 
see  you  through  properly.  Leave  it  to  us, 
and  you  sit  tight." 

"  Rightum !  "  said  Crawshay.  "  And 
I'll  have  a  sleep  time  you're  gone.  But  no 
sperrits — no,  thank'ee — not  yet!  Once  let 
me  loose  on  the  lush,  and.  Lord  love  yer, 
I'm  a  gone  coon !  " 

Raffles  got  his  overcoat,  a  long,  light 
driving-coat,  I  remember,  and  even  as  he 
226 


The  Return  Match 

put  it  on  our  fugitive  was  dozing  in  the 
chair ;  we  left  him  murmuring  incoherently, 
with  the  gas  out,  and  his  bare  feet  toast- 
ing. 

""Not  such  a  bad  chap,  that  professor," 
said  Raffles  on  the  stairs ;  "  a  real  genius  in 
his  way,  too,  though  his  methods  are  a  little 
elementary  for  my  taste.  But  technique 
isn't  ever>'thing;  to  get  out  of  Dartmoor 
and  into  the  Albany  in  the  same  twenty- 
four  hours  is  a  whole  that  justifies  its  parts. 
Good  Lord !  " 

We  had  passed  a  man  in  the  foggy  courts 
yard,  and  Raffles  had  nipped  my  arm. 

"Who  was  it?" 

"  The  last  man  we  want  to  see !  I  hope 
to  heaven  he  didn't  hear  me !  " 

"But  who  is  he.  Raffles?" 

"  Our  old  friend  Mackenzie,  from  the 
Yard!" 

I  stood  still  with  horror. 

"  Do  you  think  he's  on  Crawshay's 
track?" 

"  I  don't  know.     I'll  find  out." 

And  before  I  could  remonstrate  he  had 
wheeled  me  round ;  when  I  found  my  voice 
227 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

he  merely  laughed,  and  whispered  that  the 
bold  course  was  the  safe  one  every  time. 

"  But  it's  madness " 

"Not  it.  Shut  up!  Is  that  you,  Mr. 
Mackenzie  ?  " 

The  detective  turned  about  and  scrutin- 
ised us  keenly ;  and  through  the  gaslit  mist 
I  noticed  that  his  hair  was  grizzled  at  the 
temples,  and  his  face  still  cadaverous,  from 
the  wound  that  had  nearly  been  his  death. 

"  Ye  have  the  advantage  o'  me,  sirs," 
said  he. 

"  I  hope  you're  fit  again,"  said  my  com- 
panion. "  My  name  is  Raffles,  and  we  met 
at  Milchester  last  year." 

"  Is  that  a  fact  ?  "  cried  the  Scotchman, 
with  quite  a  start.  "  Yes,  now  I  remember 
your  face,  and  yours  too,  sir.  Ay,  yon  was 
a  bad  business,  but  it  ended  vera  well,  an* 
that's  the  main  thing." 

His  native  caution  had  returned  to  him. 
Raffles  pinched  my  arm. 

"  Yes,  it  ended  splendidly,  but  for  you," 
said  he.     "  But  what  about  this  escape  of 
the  leader  of  the  gang,  that  fellow  Craw- 
shay?    What  do  you  think  of  that,  eh?" 
228 


The  Return  Match 

"  I  havena  the  parteeculars,"  replied  the 
Scot. 

"  Good !  "  cried  Raffles.  "  I  was  only 
afraid  you  might  be  on  his  tracks  once 
more !  " 

Mackenzie  shook  his  head  with  a  dry 
smile,  and  wished  us  good  evening  as  an 
invisible  window  was  thrown  up,  and  a 
whistle  blown  softly  through  the  fog. 

"  We  must  see  this  out,"  whispered 
Raffles.  "  Nothing  more  natural  than  a 
little  curiosity  on  our  part.  After  him, 
quick!" 

And  we  followed  the  detective  into  an- 
other entrance  on  the  same  side  as  that  from 
which  we  had  emerged,  the  left-hand  side 
on  one's  way  to  Piccadilly ;  quite  openly  we 
followed  him,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
met  one  of  the  porters  of  the  place» 
Raffles  asked  him  what  was  wrong. 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  said  the  fellow  glibly. 

"  Rot !  "  said  Raffles.  "  That  was  Mac- 
kenzie, the  detective.  I've  just  been  speak- 
ing to  him.  What's  he  here  for?  Come 
on,  my  good  fellow ;  we  won't  give  you 
away,  if  you've  instructions  not  to  tell." 
229 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

The  man  looked  quaintly  wistful,  the 
temptation  of  an  audience  hot  upon  him; 
a  door  shut  upstairs,  arid  be  fell. 

"  It's  like  this,"  he  whispered.  "  This 
arfternoon  a  gen'leman  comes  arfter 
rooms,  and  I  sent  him  to  the  orfice;  one  of 
the  clurks,  'e  goes  round  with  'im  an'  shows 
'im  the  empties,  an'  the  gen'leman's  partic'ly 
struck  on  the  set  the  coppers  is  up  in  now. 
So  he  sends  the  clurk  to  fetch  the  manager, 
as  there  was  one  or  two  things  he  wished 
to  speak  about;  an'  when  they  come  back, 
blowed  if  the  gent  isn't  gone!  Beg  yer 
pardon,  sir,  but  he's  clean  disappeared  off 
the  face  o'  the  premises !  "  And  the  por- 
ter looked  at  us  with  shining  eyes. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Raffles. 

"  Well,  sir,  they  looked  about,  an'  looked 
about,  an'  at  larst  they  give  him  up  for  a 
bad  job;  thought  he'd  changed  his  mind 
an'  didn't  want  to  tip  the  clurk;  so  they 
shut  up  the  place  an'  come  away.  An' 
that's  all  till  about  'alf  an  hour  ago,  when 
I  takes  the  manager  his  extry-speshul 
Star;  in  about  ten  minutes  he  comes  run- 
ning out  with  a  note,  an'  sends  me  with  it 
230 


The  Return  Match 

to  Scotland  Yard  in  a  hansom.  An'  thafs 
all  I  know,  sir— straight.  The  coppers  is 
up  there  now,  and  the  tec,  and  the  manager, 
and  they  think  their  gent  is  about  the  place 
somewhere  still.  Least,  I  reckon  that's 
their  idea ;  but  who  he  is,  or  what  they  want 
him  for,  I  dunno." 

"  Jolly  interesting !  "  said  Raffles.  "  I'm 
going  up  to  inquire.  Come  on,  Bunny; 
there  should  be  some  fun." 

"Beg  yer  pardon,  Mr.  Raffles,  but  you 
won't  say  nothing  about  me  ?  " 

"  Not  I ;  you're  a  good  fellow.  I  won't 
forget  it  if  this  leads  to  sport.  Sport !  "  he 
whispered  as  we  reached  the  landing.  "  It 
looks  like  precious  poor  sport  for  you  and 
me,  Bunny !  " 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  There's  no  time  to 
think.     This,  to  start  with." 

And  he  thundered  on  the  shut  door;  a 
policeman  opened  it.  Raffles  strode  past  him 
with  the  air  of  a  chief  commissioner,  and 
I  followed  before  the  man  had  recovered 
from  his  astonishment.  The  bare  boards 
rang  under  us;  in  the  bedroom  we  found 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

a  knot  of  officers  stooping  over  the  window- 
ledge  with  a  constable's  lantern.  Macken- 
zie was  the  first  to  stand  upright,  and  he 
greeted  us  with  a  glare. 

"  May  I  ask  what  you  gentlemen  want?  " 
said  he. 

"  We  want  to  lend  a  hand,"  said  Raffles 
briskly.  "  We  lent  one  once  before,  and 
it  was  my  friend  here  who  took  over  from 
you  the  fellow  who  split  on  all  the  rest,  and 
held  him  tight.  Surely  that  entitles  him, 
at  all  events,  to  see  any  fun  that's  going? 
As  for  myself,  well,  it's  true  I  only  helped 
to  carry  you  to  the  house ;  but  for  old  ac- 
quaintance I  do  hope,  my  dear  Mr.  Macken- 
zie, that  you  will  permit  us  to  share  such 
sport  as  there  may  be.  I  myself  can  only 
stop  a  few  minutes,  in  any  case." 

"  Then  ye'll  not  see  much,"  growled  the 
detective,  "  for  he's  not  up  here.  Consta- 
ble, go  you  and  stand  at  the  foot  o'  the 
stairs,  and  let  no  other  body  come  up  on 
any  conseederation ;  these  gentlemen  may 
be  able  to  help  us  after  all." 

"  That's  kind  of  you,  Mackenzie !  "  cried 
Raffles  warmly.  "  But  what  is  it  all  ?  I 
232 


The  Return  Match 

questioned  a  porter  I  met  coming  down,  but 
could  get  nothing  out  of  him,  except  that 
somebody  had  been  to  see  these  rooms  and 
not  since  been  seen  himself," 

"  He's  a  man  we  want,"  said  Macken- 
zie. "  He's  concealed  himself  somewhere 
about  these  premises,  or  I'm  vera  much 
mistaken.  D'ye  reside  in  the  Albany,  Mr. 
Raffles?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Will  your  rooms  be  near  these?" 

"  On  the  next  staircase  but  one." 

"  Ye'll  just  have  left  them?" 

"  Just." 

"  Been  in  all  the  afternoon,  likely  ?  ** 

"  Not  all." 

"  Then  I  may  have  to  search  your  rooms, 
sir.  I  am  prepared  to  search  every  room 
in  the  Albany!  Our  man  seems  to  have 
gone  for  the  leads ;  but  unless  he's  left  more 
marks  outside  than  in,  or  we  find  him  up 
there,  I  shall  have  the  entire  building  to 
ransack." 

"  I  will  leave  you  my  key,"  said  Raffles 
at  once.     "  I  am  dining  out,  but  I'll  leave  it 
with  the  officer  down  below." 
233 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  caught  my  breath  in  mute  amazement. 
What  was  the  meaning  of  this  insane  prom- 
ise? It  was  wilful,  gratuitous,  suicidal;  it 
made  me  catch  at  his  sleeve  in  open  horror 
and  disgust;  but,  with  a  word  of  thanks, 
Mackenzie  had  returned  to  his  window-sill, 
and  we  sauntered  unwatched  through  the 
folding-doors  into  the  adjoining  room. 
Here  the  window  looked  down  into  the 
courtyard;  it  was  still  open;  and  as  we 
gazed  out  in  apparent  idleness.  Raffles  re- 
assured me. 

"  It's  all  right.  Bunny ;  you  do  what  I  tell 
you  and  leave  the  rest  to  me.  It's  a  tight 
corner,  but  I  don't  despair.  What  you've 
got  to  do  is  to  stick  to  these  chaps,  especial- 
ly if  they  search  my  rooms ;  they  mustn't 
poke  about  more  than  necessary,  and  they 
won't  if  you're  there." 

"  But  where  will  you  be  ?  You're  never 
going  to  leave  me  to  be  landed  alone  ? " 

"  If  I  do,  it  will  be  to  turn  up  trumps  at 
the  right  moment.  Besides,  there  are  such 
things  as  windows,  and  Crawshay's  the 
man  to  take  his  risks.  You  must  trust  me. 
Bunny;  you've  known  me  long  enough." 
234 


The  Return  Match 

"  And  you're  going  now  ?  " 

"  There's  no  time  to  lose.  Stick  to  them, 
old  chap ;  don't  let  them  suspect  you,  what- 
ever else  you  do."  His  hand  lay  an  instant 
on  my  shoulder;  then  he  left  me  at  the 
window,  and  recrossed  the  room. 

"  I've  got  to  go  now,"  I  heard  him  say ; 
'*'  but  my  friend  will  stay  and  see  this 
through,  and  I'll  leave  the  gas  on  in  my 
rooms,  and  my  ke}''  with  the  constable 
downstairs.  Good  luck,  Mackenzie;  only 
wish  I  could  stay." 

"  Goodbye,  sir,"  came  in  a  preoccupied 
voice,  "  and  many  thanks." 

Mackenzie  was  still  busy  at  his  window, 
and  I  remained  at  mine,  a  prey  to  mingled 
fear  and  wrath,  for  all  my  knowledge  of 
Raffles  and  of  his  infinite  resource.  By 
this  time  I  felt  that  I  knew  more  or  leSvS 
what  he  would  do  in  any  given  emergency ; 
at  least  I  could  conjecture  a  characteristic 
course  of  equal  cunning  and  audacity.  He 
would  return  to  his  rooms,  put  Crawshay 
on  his  guard,  and — stow  him  away?  No — 
there  were  such  things  as  windows.  Then 
why  was  Rafifles  going  to  desert  us  all  ?  I 
235 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

thought  of  many  things — lastly  of  a  cab. 
These  bedroom  windows  looked  into  a  nar- 
row side-street;  they  were  not  very  high; 
from  them  a  man  might  drop  on  to  the  roof 
of  a  cab — even  as  it  passed — and  be  driven 
away — even  under  the  noses  of  the  po- 
lice! I  pictured  Raffles  driving  that  cab, 
unrecognisable  in  the  foggy  night;  the 
vision  came  to  me  as  he  passed  under  the 
window,  tucking  up  the  collar  of  his  great 
driving-coat  on  the  way  to  his  rooms;  it 
was  still  with  me  when  he  passed  again  on 
his  way  back,  and  stopped  to  hand  the  con- 
stable his  key. 

"  We're  on  his  track,"  said  a  voice  behind 
me.  "  He's  got  up  on  the  leads,  sure 
enough,  though  how  he  managed  it  from 
yon  window  is  a  myst'ry  to  me.  We're 
going  to  lock  up  here  and  try  what  like 
it  is  from  the  attics.  So  you'd  better  come 
with  us  if  you've  a  mind." 

The  top  floor  at  the  Albany,  as  elsewhere, 
is  devoted  to  the  servants — a  congeries  of 
little  kitchens  and  cubicles,  used  by  many 
as  lumber-rooms — ^by  Raffles  among  the 
many.  The  annex  in  this  case  was,  of 
236 


The  Return  Match 

course,  empty  as  the  rooms  below ;  and  that 
was  lucky,  for  we  filled  it,  what  with  the 
manager,  who  now  joined  us,  and  another 
tenant  whom  he  brought  with  him  to  Mac- 
kenzie's undisguised  annoyance. 

"  Better  let  in  all  Piccadilly  at  a  crown 
a  head,"  said  he.  "  Here,  my  man,  out  you 
go  on  the  roof  to  make  one  less,  and  have 
your  truncheon  handy." 

We  crowded  to  the  little  window,  which 
Mackenzie  took  care  to  fill;  and  a  minute 
yielded  no  sound  but  the  crunch  and 
slither  of  constabulary  boots  upon  sooty 
slates.     Then  came  a  shout. 

"  What  now  ?  "  cried  Mackenzie. 

"  A  rope,"  we  heard,  "  hanging  from  the 
spout  by  a  hook !  " 

"  Sirs,"  purred  Mackenzie,  "  yon's  how 

■  he  got  up  from  below!     He  would  do  it 

with  one  o'  they  telescope  sticks,  an'   I 

never  thocht  o't!     How  long  a  rope,  my 

lad?" 

"  Quite  short.     I've  got  it." 

"  Did  it  hang  over  a  window  ?     Ask  him 
that!"  cried  the  manager.     "He  can  see 
by  leaning  over  the  parapet." 
237 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

The  question  was  repeated  by  Mackenzie ; 
a  pause,  then  "  Yes,  it  did." 

"Ask  him  how  many  windows  along!" 
shouted  the  manager  in  high  excitement. 

"  Six,  he  says,"  said  Mackenzie  next 
minute;  and  he  drew  in  his  head  and 
shoulders.  "  I  should  just  like  to  see  those 
rooms,  six  windows  along." 

"  Mr.  Raffles's,"  announced  the  manager 
after  a  mental  calculation. 

"  Is  that  a  fact  ? "  cried  Mackenzie. 
"  Then  we  shall  have  no  difficulty  at  all. 
He's  left  me  his  key  down  below." 

The  words  had  a  dry,  speculative  intona- 
tion, which  even  then  I  found  time  to  dis- 
like; it  was  as  though  the  coincidence  had 
already  struck  the  Scotchman  as  something 
more. 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Raffles  ?  "  asked  the  man- 
ager, as  we  all  filed  downstairs. 

"  He's  gone  out  to  his  dinner,"  said  Mac- 
kenzie. 

"  Are  you  sure?  " 

"  I  saw  him  go,"  said  I.  My  heart  was 
beating  horribly.  I  would  not  trust  myself 
to  speak  again.  But  I  wormed  my  way  to 
238 


The  Return  Match 

a  front  place  in  the  little  procession,  and 
was,  in  fact,  the  second  man  to  cross  the 
threshold  that  had  been  the  Rubicon  of  my 
life*  As  I  did  so  I  uttered  a  cry  of  pain, 
for  Mackenzie  had  trod  back  heavily  on  my 
toes;  in  another  second  I  saw  the  reason, 
and  saw  it  with  another  and  a  louder  cry, 

A  man  was  lying  at  full  length  before  the 
fire  on  his  back,  with  a  little  wound  in  the 
white  forehead,  and  the  blood  draining  into 
his  eyes.  And  the  man  was  Rafifles  him- 
self! 

"  Suicide,"  said  Mackenzie  calmly.  "  No 
— here's  the  poker — looks  more  like  mur- 
der." He  went  on  his  knees  and  shook  his 
head  quite  cheerfully.  "  An'  it's  not  even 
murder,"  said  he,  with  a  shade  of  disgust 
in  his  matter-of-fact  voice ;  "  yon's  no  more 
than  a  flesh-wound,  and  I  have  my  doubts 
whether  it  felled  him ;  but,  sirs,  he  just 
stinks  o'  chloryform !  " 

He  got  up  and  fixed  his  keen  grey  eyes 
upon  me;  my  own  were  full  of  tears,  but 
they  faced  him  unashamed. 

"  I  understood  ye  to  say  ye  saw  him  go 
out?"  said  he  sternly. 
239 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  I  saw  that  long  driving-coat ;  of 
course,  I  thought  he  was  inside  it." 

"  And  I  could  ha'  sworn  it  was  the  same 
gent  when  he  give  me  the  key !  " 

It  was  the  disconsolate  voice  of  the  con- 
stable in  the  background;  on  him  turned 
Llackenzie,  white  to  the  lips. 

"  You'd  think  anything,  some  of  you 
damned  policemen,"  said  he.  "  What's 
your  number,  you  rotter?  P  34?  You'll 
be  hearing  more  of  this,  Mr.  P  34!  If  that 
gentleman  was  dead — instead  of  coming  to 
himself  while  I'm  talking — do  you  know 
what  you'd  be?  Guilty  of  his  manslaughter, 
you  stuck  pig  in  buttons!  Do  you  know 
who  you've  let  slip,  butter-fingers?  Craw- 
shay — no  less — him  that  broke  Dartmoor 
yesterday.  By  the  God  that  made  ye,  P  34, 
if  I  lose  him  I'll  hound  ye  from  the  forrce !  " 

Working  face — shaking  fist — a  calm 
man  on  fire.  It  was  a  new  side  of  Macken- 
zie, and  one  to  mark  and  to  digest.  Next 
moment  he  had  flounced  from  our  midst. 

"  Difficult  thing  to  break  your  own  head," 
said  Raffles  later ;  "  infinitely  easier  to  cut 
240 


The  Return  Match 

your  own  throat.  Chloroform's  another 
matter;  when  you've  used  it  on  others,  you 
know  the  dose  to  a  nicety.  So  you  thought 
I  was  really  gone  ?  Poor  old  Bunny !  But 
I  hope  Mackenzie  saw  your  face  ?  " 

"  He  did,"  said  I.  I  would  not  tell  him 
all  Mackenzie  must  have  seen,  however. 

"  That's  all  right.  I  wouldn't  have  had 
him  miss  it  for  worlds;  and  you  mustn't 
think  me  a  brute,  old  boy,  for  I  fear  that 
man,  and,  know,  we  sink  or  swim  to- 
gether." 

"  And  now  we  sink  or  swim  with  Craw- 
shay,  too,"  said  I  dolefully. 

"  Not  we !  "  said  Raffles  with  conviction. 
"  Old  Crawshay's  a  true  sportsman,  and 
he'll  do  by  us  as  we've  done  by  him ;  besides, 
this  makes  us  quits;  and  I  don't  think, 
Bunny,  that  we'll  take  on  the  professors 
again ! " 


241 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  EMPEROR 


\17HEN  the  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands 
made  faces  at  Queen  Victoria,  and  a 
European  monarch  set  the  cables  tingling 
with  his  compliments  on  the  exploit,  the 
indignation  in  England  was  not  less  than 
the  surprise,  for  the  thing  was  not  so  com- 
mon as  it  has  since  become.  But  when  it 
transpired  that  a  gift  of  peculiar  significance 
was  to  follow  the  congratulations,  to  give 
them  weight,  the  inference  prevailed  that 
the  white  potentate  and  the  black  had  taken 
simultaneous  leave  of  their  fourteen  senses. 
For  the  gift  was  a  pearl  of  price  unparal- 
leled, picked  aforetime  by  British  cutlasses 
from  a  Polynesian  setting,  and  presented 
by  British  royalty  to  the  sovereign  who 
seized  this  opportunity  of  restoring  it  to 
its  original  possessor. 
242 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

The  incident  would  have  been  a  godsend 
to  the  Press  a  few  weeks  later.  Even  in 
June  there  were  leaders,  letters,  large  head- 
lines, leaded  type;  the  Daily  Chronicle  de- 
voting half  its  literary  page  to  a  charming 
drawing  of  the  island  capital  which  the  new 
Pall  Mall,  in  a  leading  article  headed  by  a 
pun,  advised  the  Government  to  blow  to 
flinders.  I  was  myself  driving  a  poor  but 
not  dishonest  quill  at  the  time,  and  the 
topic  of  the  hour  goaded  me  into  satiric 
verse  which  obtained  a  better  place  than 
anything  I  had  yet  turned  out.  I  had  let 
my  flat  in  town,  and  taken  inexpensive 
quarters  at  Thames  Ditton,  on  the  plea  of 
a  disinterested  passion  for  the  river. 

"  First-rate,  old  boy !  "  said  Raffles  (who 
must  needs  come  and  see  me  there),  lying 
back  in  the  boat  while  I  sculled  and  steered. 
"  I  suppose  they  pay  you  pretty  well  for 
these,  eh?" 

"  Not  a  penny." 

"  Nonsense,  Bunny !  I  thought  they  paid 
so  well?  Give  them  time,  and  you'll  get 
your  cheque." 

"  Oh,  no,    I  sha'n't,"    said    I  gloomily. 
243 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

*'  I've  got  to  be  content  with  the  honour  of 
getting  in;  the  editor  wrote  to  say  so,  in 
so  many  words,"  I  added.  But  I  gave  the 
gentleman  his  distinguished  name. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you've  written 
for  payment  aheady?" 

No;  it  was  the  last  thing  I  had  intended 
to  admit.  But  I  had  done  it.  The  murder 
was  out;  there  was  no  sense  in  further  con- 
cealment. I  had  written  for  my  money  be- 
cause I  really  needed  it;  if  he  must  know, 
I  was  cursedly  hard  up.  Raffles  nodded 
as  though  he  knew  already.  I  warmed  to 
my  woes.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  keep 
your  end  up  as  a  raw  free  lance  of  letters; 
for  my  part,  I  was  afraid  I  wrote  neither 
well  enough  nor  ill  enough  for  success.  I 
suffered  from  a  persistent  ineffectual  feel- 
ing after  style.  Verse  I  could  manage;  but 
it  did  not  pay.  To  personal  paragraphs  and 
the  baser  journalism  I  could  not  and  I 
would  not  stoop. 

Raffles  nodded  again,  this  time  with  a 

smile  that  stayed  in  his  eyes  as  he  leant 

back  watching  me.     I  knew  that  he  was 

thinking  of  other  things  I  had  stooped  to, 

244 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

and  I  thought  I  knew  what  he  was  going 
to  say.  He  had  said  it  before  so  often;  he 
was  sure  to  say  it  again.  1  had  my  answer 
ready,  but  evidently  he  was  tired  of  asking 
the  same  question.  His  Hds  fell,  he  took 
up  the  paper  he  had  dropped,  and  I  sculled 
the  length  of  the  old  red  wall  of  Hampton 
Court  before  he  spoke  again. 

"And  they  gave  you  nothing  for  these! 
My  dear  Bunny,  they're  capital,  not  only 
qua  verses  but  for  crystallising  your  sub- 
ject and  putting  it  in  a  nutshell.  Certainly 
you've  taught  inc  more  about  it  than  I  knew 
before.  But  is  it  really  worth  fifty  thousand 
pounds — a  single  pearl?" 

"  A  hundred,  I  believe;  but  that  wouldn't 
scan." 

"A  hundred  thousand  pounds!"  said 
Raffles,  with  his  eyes  shut.  And  again  I 
made  certain  what  was  coming,  but  again 
I  was  mistaken.  "  If  it's  worth  all  that," 
he  cried  at  last,  "  there  would  be  no  getting 
rid  of  it  at  all;  it's  not  like  a  diamond  that 
you  can  subdivide.  But  I  beg  your  pardon, 
Bunny.    I  was  forgetting!  " 

And  we  said  no  more  about  the  emperor's 
245 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

gift;  for  pride  thrives  on  an  empty  pocket, 
and  no  privation  would  have  drawn  from 
me  the  proposal  which  I  had  expected  Raf- 
fles to  make.  My  expectation  had  been 
half  a  hope,  though  I  only  knew  it  now. 
But  neither  did  we  touch  again  on  what 
Rafifles  professed  to  have  forgotten — my 
"  apostasy,"  my  "  lapse  into  virtue,"  as  he 
had  been  pleased  to  call  it.  We  were  both 
a  little  silent,  a  little  constrained,  each  pre- 
occupied with  his  own  thoughts.  It  was 
months  since  we  had  met,  and,  as  I  saw 
him  off  towards  eleven  o'clock  that  Sunday 
night,  I  fancied  it  was  for  more  months 
that  we  were  saying  goodbye. 

But  as  we  waited  for  the  train  I  saw  those 
clear  eyes  peering  at  me  under  the  station 
lamps,  and  when  I  met  their  glance  RafHes 
shook  his  head. 

"  You  don't  look  well  on  it.  Bunny,"  said 
he.  "  I  never  did  believe  in  this  Thames 
Valley.    You  want  a  change  of  air." 

I  wished  I  might  get  it. 

"  What  you  really  want  is  a  sea  voyage." 

"  And  a  winter  at  St.  Moritz,  or  do  you 
recommend  Cannes  or  Cairo?  It's  all  very 
246 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

well,  A.  J.,  but  you  forget  what  I  told  you 
about  my  funds." 

"  I  forget  nothing.  I  merely  don't  want 
to  hurt  your  feelings.  But,  look  here,  a  sea 
voyage  you  shall  have.  I  want  a  change 
myself,  and  you  shall  come  with  me  as  my 
guest.  We'll  spend  July  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean." 

"  But  you're  playing  cricket " 

"Hang  the  cricket!  " 

"  Well,  if  I  thought  you  meant  it " 

"  Of  course  I  mean  it.    Will  you  come?  " 

"  Like  a  shot — if  you  go." 

And  I  shook  his  hand,  and  waved  mine 
in  farewell,  with  the  perfectly  good- 
humoured  conviction  that  I  should  hear  no 
more  of  the  matter.  It  was  a  passing 
thought,  no  more,  no  less.  I  soon  wished 
it  were  more;  that  week  found  me  wishing 
myself  out  of  England  for  good  and  all.  I 
was  making  nothing.  I  could  but  subsist 
on  the  difference  between  the  rent  I  paid 
for  my  flat  and  the  rent  at  which  I  had  sub- 
let it,  furnished,  for  the  season.  And  the 
season  was  near  its  end,  and  creditors 
awaited  me  in  town.  Was  it  possible  to  be 
247 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

entirely  honest?  I  had  run  no  bills  when 
I  had  money  in  my  pocket,  and  the  more 
downright  dishonesty  seemed  to  me  the  less 
ignoble. 

But  from  Raffles,  of  course,  I  heard  noth- 
ing more;  a  week  went  by,  and  half  another 
week;  then,  late  on  the  second  Wednesday 
night,  I  found  a  telegram  from  him  at  my 
lodgings,  after  seeking  him  vainly  in  town, 
and  dining  with  desperation  at  the  solitary 
club  to  which  I  still  belonged. 

"Arrange  to  leave  Waterloo  by  Ncrth 
German  Lloyd  special,"  he  wired,  "9.25 
a.m.  Monday  next  will  meet  you  South- 
ampton aboard  Uhlan  with  tickets  am  writ- 
ing." 

And  write  he  did,  a  light-hearted  letter 
enough,  but  full  of  serious  solicitude  for 
me  and  for  my  health  and  prospects;  a  let- 
ter almost  touching  in  the  light  of  our  past 
relations,  in  the  twilight  of  their  complete 
rupture.  He  said  that  he  had  booked  two 
berths  to  Naples,  that  we  were  bound  for 
Capri,  which  was  clearly  the  Island  of  the 
Lotos-eaters,  that  we  would  bask  there  to- 
gether, "  and  for  a  while  forget."  It  was  a 
248 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

charming  letter.  I  had  never  seen  Italy; 
the  privilege  of  initiation  should  be  his.  No 
mistake  was  greater  than  to  deem  it  an  im- 
pos'sible  country  for  the  summer.  The  Bay 
of  Naples  was  never  so  divine,  and  he  wrote 
of  "  faery  lands  forlorn."  as  though  the 
poetry  sprang  unbidden  to  his  pen.  To 
come  back  to  earth  and  prose,  I  might  think 
it  unpatriotic  of  him  to  choose  a  German 
boat,  but  on  no  other  line  did  you  receive 
such  attention  and  accommodation  for  your 
money.  There  was  a  hint  of  better  reasons. 
Raffles  wrote,  as  he  had  telegraphed,  from 
Bremen;  and  I  gathered  that  the  personal 
use  of  some  little  influence  with  the  authori- 
ties there  had  resulted  in  a  material  reduc- 
tion in  our  fares. 

Imagine  my  excitement  and  delight!  I 
managed  to  pay  what  I  owed  at  Thames 
Dttton,  to  squeeze  a  small  editor  for  a  very 
small  cheque,  and  my  tailors  for  one  more 
flannel  suit.  I  remember  that  I  broke  my 
last  sovereign  to  get  a  box  of  Sullivan's 
cigarettes  for  Raffles  to  smoke  on  the  voy- 
age. But  my  heart  was  as  light  as  my 
purse  on  the  Monday  morning,  the  fairest 
249 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

morning  of  an  unfair  summer,  when  the 
special  whirled  me  through  the  sunshine  to 
the  sea. 

A  tender  awaited  us  at  Southampton. 
Raffles  was  not  on  board,  nor  did  I  really 
look  for  him  till  we  reached  the  liner's  side. 
And  then  I  looked  in  vain.  His  face  was 
not  among  the  many  that  fringed  the  rail; 
his  hand  was  not  of  the  few  that  w^aved  to 
friends.  I  climbed  aboard  in  a  sudden 
heaviness.  I  had  no  ticket,  nor  the  money 
to  pay  for  one.  I  did  not  even  know  the 
number  of  my  room.  My  heart  was  in  my 
mouth  as  I  waylaid  a  steward  and  asked  if 
a  Mr.  Raffles  was  on  board.  Thank  heaven 
— he  was!  But  where?  The  man  did  not 
know,  was  plainly  on  some  other  errand, 
and  a-hunting  I  must  go.  But  there  was 
no  sign  of  him  on  the  promenade  deck,  and 
none  below  in  the  saloon;  the  smoking- 
room  was  empty  but  for  a  little  German  with 
a  red  moustache  twisted  into  his  eyes;  nor 
was  Raffles  in  his  own  cabin,  whither  I  in- 
quired my  way  in  desperation,  but  where 
the  sight  of  his  own  name  on  the  baggage 
was  certainly  a  further  reassurance.  Why 
250 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

he  himself  kept  in  the  background,  however, 
I  could  not  conceive,  and  only  sinister  rea- 
sons would  suggest  themselves  in  explana- 
tion. 

"  So  there  you  are!  I've  been  looking  for 
you  all  over  the  ship!  " 

Despite  the  graven  prohibition,  I  had 
tried  the  bridge  as  a  last  resort;  and  there, 
indeed,  was  A.  J.  Raffles,  seated  on  a  sky- 
light, and  leaning  over  one  of  the  offtcers' 
long  chairs,  in  which  reclined  a  girl  in  a 
white  drill  coat  and  skirt — a  slip  of  a  girl 
with  a  pale  skin,  dark  hair,  and  rather  re- 
markable eyes.  So  much  I  noted  as  he 
rose  and  quickly  turned;  thereupon  I  could 
think  of  nothing  but  the  swift  grimace 
which  preceded  a  start  of  well-feigned  as- 
tonishment. 

"  Why Bunny  f  "        cried        Rafifles. 

"  Where  have  you  sprung  from?  " 

I  stammered  something  as  he  pinched 
my  hand. 

"  And  are  you  coming  in  this  ship?  And 
to  Naples,  too?  Well,  upon  my  word! 
Miss  Werner,  may  I  introduce  him?  " 

And  he  did  so  without  a  blush,  describ- 
251 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ing  me  as  an  old  schoolfellow  whom  he  had 
not  seen  for  months,  with  wilful  circum- 
stance and  gratuitous  detail  that  filled  me 
at  once  with  confusion,  suspicion,  and  re- 
volt. I  felt  myself  blushing  for  us  both, 
and  I  did  not  care.  My  address  utterly  de- 
serted me,  and  I  made  no  effort  to  recover 
it,  to  carry  the  thing  off.  All  I  would  do 
was  to  mumble  such  words  as  Raffles  act- 
ually put  into  my  mouth,  and  that  I  doubt 
not  with  a  thoroughly  evil  grace. 

"  So  you  saw  my  name  in  the  list  of  pas- 
sengers and  came  in  search  of  me?  Good 
old  Bunny,  I  say,  though,  I  wish  you'd 
share  my  cabin?  I've  got  a  beauty  on  the 
promenade  deck,  but  they  wouldn't  promise 
to  keep  me  by  myself.  We  ought  to  see 
about  it  before  they  shove  in  some  alien. 
In  any  case  we  shall  have  to  get  out  of 
this." 

For  a  quartermaster  had  entered  the 
wheel-house,  and  even  while  we  had  been 
speaking  the  pilot  had  taken  possession  of 
the  bridge;  as  we  descended,  the  tender  left 
us  with  flying  handkerchiefs  and  shrill 
goodbyes;  and  as  we  bowed  to  Miss  Werner 

2^2 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

on  the  promenade  deck,  there  came  a  deep, 
slow  throbbing  under-foot,  and  our  voyage 
had  begun. 

It  did  not  begin  pleasantly  between  Raf- 
fles and  me.  On  deck  he  had  overborne 
my  stubborn  perplexity  by  dint  of  a  forced 
though  forceful  joviality;  in  his  cabin  the 
gloves  were  ofif. 

"  You  idiot,"  he  snarled,  "  you've  given 
me  away  again !  " 

"  How  have  1  given  you  away?  " 

I  ignored  the  separate  insult  in  his  last 
word. 

"  How?  I  should  have  thought  any  clod 
could  see  that  I  meant  us  to  meet  by 
chance! " 

"  After  taking  both  tickets  yourself?  " 

"  They  know  nothing  about  that  on 
board ;  besides,  I  hadn't  decided  when  I 
took  the  tickets." 

"  Then  you  should  have  let  me  knov/ 
when  you  did  decide.  You  lay  your  plans, 
and  never  say  a  word,  and  expect  me  to 
tumble  to  them  by  light  of  nature.  How 
was  I  to  know  you  had  anything  on?" 


253 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

I  had  turned  the  tables  with  some  effect 
Raffles  almost  hung  his  head. 

"  The  fact  is,  Bunny,  I  didn't  mean  you 
to  know.  You — you've  grown  such  a  pious 
rabbit  in  your  old  age!  " 

My  nickname  and  his  tone  went  far  to 
mollify  me,  other  things  went  farther,  but 
I  had  much  to  forgive  him  still. 

"  If  you  were  afraid  of  writing,"  I  pur- 
sued, "  it  was  your  business  to  give  me  the 
tip  the  moment  I  set  foot  on  board.  I  would 
have  taken  it  all  right.  I  am  not  so  virtu- 
ous as  all  that." 

Was  it  my  imagination,  or  did  Rafifles 
look  slightly  ashamed?  If  so,  it  was  for 
the  first  and  last  time  in  all  the  years  I 
knew  him ;  nor  can  I  swear  to  it  even 
now. 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  was  the  very  thing  I 
meant  to  do — to  lie  in  wait  in  my  room 
and  get  you  as  you  passed.    But " 

"  You  were  better  engaged?  " 

"  Say  otherwise." 

"  The  charming  Miss  Werner?  " 

"  She  is  quite  charming." 

"  Most  Australian  girls  are,"  said  I. 
254 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"  How  did  you  know  she  was  one?"  he 
cried. 

"  I  heard  her  speak." 

"*Brute!"  said  Raffles,  laughing;  "she 
has  no  more  twang  than  you  have.  Her 
people  are  German,  she  has  been  to  school 
in  Dresden,  and  is  on  her  way  out  alone." 

"  Money?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Confound  you !  "  he  said,  and,  though 
he  was  laughing,  I  thought  it  was  a  point 
at  which  the  subject  might  be  changed. 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  it  wasn't  for  Miss  Wer- 
ner you  wanted  us  to  play  strangers,  was 
it?  You  have  some  deeper  game  than  that, 
eh?" 

"  I  suppose  I  have." 

"  Then  hadn't  you  better  tell  me  what  it 
is?" 

RafHes  treated  me  to  the  old  cautious 
scrutiny  that  I  knew  so  well;  the  very  famil- 
iarity of  it,  after  all  these  months,  set  me 
smiling  in  a  way  that  might  have  reassured 
him;  for  dimly  already  I  divined  his  enter- 
prise. 

"  It  won't  send  you  ofif  in  the  pilot's  boat, 
Bunny? " 

255 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Not  quite." 

"  Then — you  remember  the  pearl  you 
wrote  the '' 

I  did  not  wait  for  him  to  finish  his  sen- 
tence, 

"  You've  got  it!  "  I  cried,  my  face  on  fire, 
for  I  caught  sight  of  it  that  moment  in  the 
stateroom  mirror. 

Raffles  seemed  taken  aback, 

"  Not  yet,"  said  he;  "  but  I  mean  to  have 
it  before  w-e  get  to  Naples." 

"  Is  it  on  board?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  But  how — where — who's  got  it?  " 

"  A  little  German  officer,  a  w^hipper-snap- 
per  with  perpendicular  moustaches." 

"  I  saw  him  in  the  smoke-room," 

"  That's  the  chap;  he's  always  there.  Herr 
Captain  Wilhelm  von  Heumann,  if  you  look 
in  the  list.  Well,  he's  the  special  envoy 
of  the  emperor,  and  he's  taking  the  pearl 
out  with  him!  " 

"  You  found  this  out  in  Bremen?  " 

"  No,  in  Berlin,  from  a  newspaper  man  I 
know  there.     I'm    ashamed  to    tell    you, 
Bunny,  that  I  went  there  on  purpose!  " 
256 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

I  burst  out  laughing. 

"  You  needn't  be  ashamed.  You  are  do- 
ing the  very  thing  I  was  rather  hoping  you 
were  going  to  propose  the  other  day  on  the 
river." 

"  You  were  hoping  it?  "  said  Raffles,  with 
his  eyes  wide  open.  Indeed,  it  was  his  turn 
to  show  surprise,  and  mine  to  be  much 
more  ashamed  than  I  felt. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  "  I  was  quite  keen 
on  the  idea,  but  I  wasn't  going  to  propose 
it." 

"  Yet  you  would  have  listened  to  me  the 
other  day?" 

Certainly  I  would,  and  I  told  him  so  with- 
out reserve;  not  brazenly,  you  understand; 
not  even  now  with  the  gusto  of  a  man  who 
savours  such  an  adventure  for  its  own  sake, 
but  doggedly,  defiantly,  thro.ugh  my  teeth, 
as  one  wlio  had  tried  to  live  honestly  and 
<ailed.  And,  while  I  was  about  it,  I  told 
him  much  more.  Eloquently  enough,  I 
daresay,  I  gave  him  chapter  and  verse  of 
my  hopeless  struggle,  my  inevitable  defeat; 
for  hopeless  and  inevitable  they  were  to  a 
man  with  my  record,  even  though  that  rec- 
257 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

ord  was  written  only  in  one's  own  soul.  It 
was  the  old  story  of  the  thief  trying  to  turn 
honest  man;  the  thing  was  against  nature, 
and  there  was  an  end  of  it. 

Raffles  entirely  disagreed  with  me.  He 
shook  his  head  over  my  conventional  view. 
Human  nature  was  a  board  of  chequers; 
why  not  reconcile  oneself  to  alternate  black 
and  white?  Why  desire  to  be  all  one  thing 
or  all  the  other,  like  our  forefathers  on  the 
stage  or  in  the  old-fashioned  fiction?  For 
his  part,  he  enjoyed  himself  on  all  squares 
of  the  board,  and  liked  the  light  the  bet- 
ter for  the  shade.  My  conclusion  he  con- 
sidered absurd. 

"  But  you  err  in  good  company.  Bunny, 
for  all  the  cheap  moralists  who  preach  the 
same  twaddle:  old  Virgil  was  the  first  and 
worst  offender  of  you  all.  I  back  myself 
to  climb  out  of  Avernus  any  day  I  like,  and 
sooner  or  later  I  shall  climb  out  for  good. 
I  suppose  I  can't  very  well  turn  myself  into 
a  Limited  Liability  Company.  But  I  could 
retire  and  settle  down  and  live  blamelessly 
ever  after.  I'm  not  sure  that  it  couldn't  be 
done  on  this  pearl  alone!  " 
258 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"  Then  you  don't  still  think  it  too  remark- 
able to  sell?" 

"  We  might  take  a  fishery  and  haul  it  up 
with  smaller  fry.  It  would  come  after 
months  of  ill  luck,  just  as  we  were  going 
to  sell  the  schooner;  by  Jove,  it  would  be 
the  talk  of  the  Pacific !  " 

"  Well,  we've  got  to  get  it  first.  Is  this 
von  What's-his-name  a  formidable  cuss?" 

"  More  so  than  he  looks;  and  he  has  the 
cheek  of  the  devil !  " 

As  he  spoke  a  white  drill  skirt  fluttered 
past  the  open  state-room  door,  and  I  caught 
a  glimpse  of  an  upturned  moustache  be- 
yond. 

"  But  is  he  the  chap  we  have  to  deal  with? 
Won't  the  pearl  be  in  the  purser's  keep- 
ing?" 

Raffles  stood  at  the  door,  frowning  out 
upon  the  Solent,  but  for  an  instant  he 
turned  to  me  with  a  snifT. 

"  My  good  fellow,  do  you  suppose  the 
whole  ship's  company  knows  there's  a  gem 
like  that  aboard?  You  said  that  it  was  worth 
a  hundred  thousand  pounds;  in  Berlin  they 
say  it's  priceless.  I  doubt  if  the  skipper 
259 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

himself  knows  that  von  Heumann  has  it  on 
him." 

"And  he  has?" 

"  Must  have." 

"  Then  we  have  only  him  to  deal  with?  " 

He  answered  me  without  a  word.  Some- 
thing white  was  fluttering  past  once  more, 
and  Raffles,  stepping  forth,  made  the 
promenaders  three. 


II 

I  do  not  ask  to  set  foot  aboard  a  finer 
steamship  than  the  Uhlan  of  the  Nord- 
deutscher  Lloyd,  to  meet  a  kindlier  gentle- 
man than  her  then  commander,  or  better 
fellows  than  his  officers.  This  much  at  least 
let  me  have  the  grace  to  admit.  I  hated 
the  voyage.  It  was  no  fault  of  anybody 
connected  with  the  ship;  it  was  no  fault  of 
the  weather,  which  w'as  monotonously  ideal. 
Not  even  in  my  own  heart  did  the  reason 
reside;  conscience  and  I  were  divorced  at 
last,  and  the  decree  made  absolute.  With 
my  scruples  had  fled  all  fear,  and  I  was 
260 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

ready  to  revel  between  bright  skies  and 
sparkling  sea  with  the  light-hearted  detach- 
ment of  Raffles  himself.  It  was  Raffles 
himself  who  prevented  me,  but  not  Raffles 
alone.  It  was  Raffles  and  that  Colonial 
minx  on  her  way  home  from  school. 

What  he  could  see  in  her — but  that  begs 
the  question.  Of  course  he  saw  no  more 
than  I  did,  but  to  annoy  me,  or  perhaps  to 
punish  me  for  my  long  defection,  he  must 
turn  his  back  on  me  and  devote  himself  to 
this  chit  from  Southampton  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean. They  w^ere  always  together.  It 
was  too  absurd.  After  breakfast  they  would 
begin,  and  go  on  until  eleven  or  twelve  at 
night;  there  was  no  intervening  hour  at 
which  you  might  not  hear  her  nasal  laugh, 
or  his  quiet  voice  talking  soft  nonsense  into 
her  ear.  Of  course  it  was  nonsense!  Is  it 
conceivable  that  a  man  like  Raffles,  with 
his  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  his  experi- 
ence of  women  (a  side  of  his  character  upon 
w^hich  I  have  purposely  never  touched,  for 
it  deserves  another  volume);  is  it  credible, 
I  ask,  that  such  a  man  could  find  anything 
but  nonsense  to  talk  by  the  day  together 
261 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

to  a  giddy  young  schoolgirl?  I  would  not 
be  unfair  for  the  world.  I  think  I  have  ad- 
mitted that  the  young  person  had  points. 
Her  eyes,  I  suppose,  were  really  fine,  and 
certainly  the  shape  of  the  little  brown  face 
was  charming,  so  far  as  mere  contour  can 
charm.  I  admit  also  more  audacity  than  I 
cared  about,  with  enviable  health,  mettle, 
and  vitality.  I  may  not  have  occasion  to 
report  any  of  this  young  lady's  speeches 
(they  would  scarcely  bear  it),  and  am  there- 
fore the  more  anxious  to  describe  her  with- 
out injustice.  I  confess  to  some  little  preju- 
dice against  her.  I  resented  her  success 
with  Raffles,  of  whom,  in  consequence,  I 
saw  less  and  less  each  day.  It  is  a  mean 
thing  to  have  to  confess,  but  there  must 
have  been  something  not  unlike  jealousy 
rankling  within  me. 

Jealousy  there  was  in  another  quarter — 
crude,  rampant,  undignified  jealousy.  Cap- 
tain von  Heumann  would  twirl  his  mous- 
taches into  twin  spires,  shoot  his  white  cuffs 
over  his  rings,  and  stare  at  me  insolently 
through  his  rimless  eye-glasses;  we  ought 
to  have  consoled  each  other,  but  we  never 
262 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

exchanged  a  syllable.  The  captain  had  a 
murderous  scar  across  one  of  his  cheeks, 
a  present  from  Heidelberg,  and  I  used  to 
think  how  he  must  long  to  have  Raffles 
there  to  serve  the  same.  It  was  not  as 
though  von  Heumann  never  had  his  in- 
nings. Raffles  let  him  go  in  several  times 
a  day,  for  the  malicious  pleasure  of  bowling 
him  out  as  he  was  "getting  set";  those 
were  his  words  when  I  taxed  him  disin- 
genuously with  obnoxious  conduct  towards 
a  German  on  a  German  boat. 

"  You'll  make  yourself  disliked  on 
board!" 

"  By  von  Heumann  merely." 

"  But  is  that  wise  when  he's  the  man 
we've  got  to  diddle? " 

"  The  wisest  thing  I  ever  did.  To  have 
chummed  up  with  him  would  have  been 
fatal — the  common  dodge." 

I  was  consoled,  encouraged,  almost  con- 
tent. I  had  feared  Rafifles  was  neglecting 
things,  and  I  told  him  so  in  a  burst.  Here 
we  were  near  Gibraltar,  and  not  a  word 
since  the  Solent.  He  shook  his  head  with 
a  smile. 

263 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Plenty  of  time,  Bunny,  plenty  of  time. 
We  can  do  nothing  before  we  get  to  Genoa, 
and  that  won't  be  till  Sunday  night.  The 
voyage  is  still  young,  and  so  are  we;  let's 
make  the  most  of  things  while  we  can." 

It  was  after  dinner  on  the  promenade 
deck,  and  as  Raffles  spoke  he  glanced  sharp- 
ly fore  and  aft,  leaving  me  next  moment 
with  a  step  full  of  purpose.  I  retired  to 
the  smoking-room,  to  smoke  and  read  in  a 
corner,  and  to  watch  von  Heumann,  who 
very  soon  came  to  drink  beer  and  to  sulk 
in  another. 

Few  travellers  tempt  the  Red  Sea  at  mid- 
summer; the  Uhlan  was  very  empty  indeed. 
She  had,  however,  but  a  limited  supply  of 
cabins  on  the  promenade  deck,  and  there 
w^as  just  that  excuse  for  my  sharing  Raf- 
fles's  room.  I  could  have  had  one  to  my- 
self downstairs,  but  I  must  be  up  above. 
Raffles  had  insisted  that  I  should  insist  on 
the  point.  So  we  were  together,  I  think, 
without  suspicion,  though  also  without  any 
object  that  I  could  see. 

On  the  Sunday  afternoon  I  was  asleep 
in  my  berth,  the  lower  one,  when  the  cur- 
264 


Tlie  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

tains  were  shaken  by  Raffles,  who  was  in 
his  shirt-sleeves  on  the  settee. 

"Achilles  sulking  in  his  bunk! " 

"  What  else  is  there  to  do? "  I  asked  him 
as  I  stretched  and  yawned.  I  noted,  how- 
ever, the  good-humour  of  his  tone,  and  did 
my  best  to  catch  it. 

"  I  have  found  something  else,  Bun- 
ny." 

"I  daresay!" 

"  You  misunderstand  me.  The  whipper- 
snapper's  making  his  century  this  after- 
noon.   I've  had  other  fish  to  fry." 

I  swung  my  legs  over  the  side  of  my 
berth  and  sat  forward,  as  he  was  sitting,  all 
attention.  The  inner  door,  a  grating,  was 
shut  and  bolted,  and  curtained  like  the  open 
porthole. 

"  We  shall  be  at  Genoa  before  sunset," 
continued  Raffles.  "  It's  the  place  where 
the  deed's  got  to  be  done." 

"  So  you  still  mean  to  do  it!  " 

"Did  I  ever  say  I  didn't?" 

"  You  have  said  so  little  either  way." 

"Advisedly  so,  my  dear  Bunny;  why 
spoil  a  pleasure  trip  by  talking  unnecessary 
26]; 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

shop?     But  now  the  time  has  come.     It 
must  be  done  at  Genoa  or  not  at  all." 

"On  land?" 

"  No,  on  board,  to-morrow  night.  To- 
night would  do,  but  to-morrow  is  better, 
in  case  of  mishap.  If  we  were  forced  to 
use  violence  we  could  get  away  by  the  earli- 
est train,  and  nothing  be  known  till  the  ship 
was  sailing  and  von  Heumann  found  dead 
or  drugged " 

"  Not  dead!  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Of  course  not,"  assented  Rafifles,  "  or 
there  would  be  no  need  for  us  to  bolt;  but 
if  we  should  have  to  bolt,  Tuesday  morning 
is  our  time,  when  this  ship  has  got  to  sail, 
whatever  happens.  But  I  don't  anticipate 
any  violence.  Violence  is  a  confession  of 
terrible  incompetence.  In  all  these  years 
how  many  blows  have  you  known  me  to 
strike?  Not  one,  I  believe;  but  I  have  been 
quite  ready  to  kill  my  man  every  time,  if 
the  worst  came  to  the  worst." 

I  asked  him  how  he  proposed  to  enter 
von  Heumann's  state-room  unobserved,  and 
even  through  the  curtained  gloom  of  ours 
his  face  lighted  up. 

266 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"  Climb  into  my  bunk,  Bunny,  and  you 
shall  see." 

I  did  so,  but  could  see  nothing.  Raffles 
reached  across  me  and  tapped  the  ventilator, 
a  sort  of  trap-door  in  the  wall  above  his 
bed,  some  eighteen  inches  long  and  half 
that  height.  It  opened  outwards  into  the 
ventilating  shaft. 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  is  our  door  to  fortune. 
Open  it  if  you  like;  you  won't  see  much, 
because  it  doesn't  open  far;  but  loosening 
a  couple  of  screws  will  set  that  all  right. 
The  shaft,  as  you  may  see,  is  more  or  less 
bottomless;  you  pass  under  it  whenever  you 
go  to  your  bath,  and  the  top  is  a  skylight 
on  the  bridge.  That's  why  this  thing  has  to 
be  done  while  we're  at  Genoa,  because  they 
keep  no  watch  on  the  bridge  in  port.  The 
ventilator  opposite  ours  is  von  Heumann's. 
It  again  will  only  mean  a  couple  of  screws, 
and  there's  a  beam  to  stand  on  while  you 
work." 

"  But  if  anybody  should  look  up  from  be- 
low? " 

"  It's  extremely  unlikely  that  anybody 
will  be  astir  below,  so  unlikely  that  we  can 
267 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

afford  to  chance  it.  No,  I  can't  have  you 
there  to  make  sure.  The  great  point  is 
that  neither  of  us  should  be  seen  from  the 
time  we  turn  in.  A  couple  of  ship's  boys 
do  sentry-go  on  these  decks,  and  they  shall 
be  our  witnesses ;  by  Jove,  it'll  be  the  biggest 
mystery  that  ever  was  made!  " 

"  If  von  Heumann  doesn't  resist." 

"  Resist!  He  won't  get  the  chance.  He 
drinks  too  much  beer  to  sleep  light,  and 
nothing  is  so  easy  as  to  chloroform  a  heavy 
sleeper:  you've  even  done  it  yourself  on 
an  occasion  of  which  it's  perhaps  unfair  to 
remind  you.  Von  Heumann  will  be  past 
sensation  almost  as  soon  as  I  get  my  hand 
through  his  ventilator.  I  shall  crawl  in  over 
his  body,  Bunny,  my  boy!" 

"And  I?" 

"  You  will  hand  me  what  I  want,  and 
hold  the  fort  in  case  of  accidents,  and  gen- 
erally lend  me  the  moral  support  you've 
made  me  require.  It's  a  luxury.  Bunny, 
but  I  found  it  devilish  difficult  to  do  v;ith- 
out  it  after  you  turned  pi!  " 

He  said  that  von  Heumann  was  certain 
to  sleep  with  a  bolted  door,  which  he,  of 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

course,  would  leave  unbolted,  and  spoke 
of  other  ways  of  laying  a  false  scent  while 
rifling  the  cabin.  Not  that  Raffles  antici- 
pat'ed  a  tiresome  search.  The  pearl  would 
be  about  von  Heumann's  person;  in  fact, 
Raffles  knew  exactly  where  and  in  what 
he  kept  it.  Naturally  I  asked  how  he  could 
have  come  by  such  knowledge,  and  his  an- 
swer led  up  to  a  momentary  unpleasantness. 

"  It's  a  very  old  story,  Bunny.  I  really 
forget  in  what  Book  it  comes;  I'm  only  sure 
of  the  Testament.  But  Samson  was  the 
unlucky  hero,  and  one  Delilah  the  heroine." 

And  he  looked  so  knowing  that  I  could 
not  be  in  a  moment's  doubt  as  to  his  mean- 
ing. 

"  So  the  fair  Australian  has  been  playing 
Delilah?"  said  I. 

"  In  a  very  harmless,  innocent  sort  of 
way." 

"  She  got  his  mission  out  of  him?  " 

"  Yes,  I've  forced  him  to  score  all  the 
points  he  could,  and  that  was  his  great 
stroke,  as  I  hoped  it  would  be.  He  has 
even  shown  Amy  the  pearl." 

"  Amy,  eh!  and  she  promptly  told  you?  '* 
269 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind.  What  makes  you 
think  so?  I  had  the  greatest  trouble  in 
getting  it  out  of  her." 

His  tone  should  have  been  a  sufficient 
warning  to  me.  I  had  not  the  tact  to  take 
it  as  such.  At  last  I  knew  the  meaning  of 
his  furious  flirtation,  and  stood  wagging  my 
head  and  shaking  my  finger,  blinded  to  his 
frowns  by  my  own  enlightenment. 

"  Wily  worm !  "  said  I.  "  Now  I  see 
through  it  all;  how  dense  I've  been! " 

"Sure  you're  not  still?" 

"  No;  now  I  understand  what  has  beaten 
me  all  the  week.  I  simply  couldn't  fathom 
what  you  saw  in  that  little  girl.  I  never 
dreamt  it  was  part  of  the  game." 

"  So  you  think  it  was  that  and  nothing 
more?  " 

"  You  deep  old  dog — of  course  I  do!  " 

"  You  didn't  know  she  was  the  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  squatter?  " 

"  There  are  wealthy  women  by  the  dozen 
who  would  marry  you  to-morrow." 

"  It  doesn't  occur  to  you  that  I  might 
like  to  draw  stumps,  start  clean,  and  live 
happily  ever  after — in  the  bush?  " 
270 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"With  that  voice?  It  certainly  does 
not!" 

"Bunny!"  he  cried,  so  fiercely  that  I 
braced  myself  for  a  blow. 

But  no  more  followed. 

"  Do  you  think  you  would  live  happily?  " 
I  made  bold  to  ask  him. 

"  God  knows!  "  he  answered.  And  with 
that  he  left  me,  to  marvel  at  his  look  and 
tone,  and,  more  than  ever,  at  the  insuf- 
ficiently exciting  cause. 


Ill 

Of  all  the  mere  feats  of  cracksmanship 
which  I  have  seen  Raffles  perform,  at  once 
the  most  delicate  and  most  difficult  was 
that  which  he  accomplished  between  one 
and  two  o'clock  on  the  Tuesday  morning-, 
aboard  the  North  German  steamer  Uhlan, 
lying  at  anchor  in  Genoa  harbour. 

Not  a  hitch  occurred.  Everything  had 
been  foreseen;  everything  happened  as  I 
had  been  assured  everything  must.  No- 
body was  about  below,  only  the  ship's  boys 
271 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

on  deck,  and  nobody  on  the  bridge.  It 
was  twenty-five  minutes  past  one  when  Raf- 
fles, without  a  stitch  of  clothing  on  his  body, 
but  with  a  glass  phial,  corked  with  cotton- 
wool, between  his  teeth,  and  a  tiny  screw- 
driver behind  his  ear,  squirmed  feet  first 
through  the  ventilator  over  his  berth;  and 
it  was  nineteen  minutes  to  two  when  he  re- 
turned, head  first,  with  the  phial  still  be- 
tween his  teeth,  and  the  cotton-wool 
rammed  home  to  still  the  rattling  of  that 
which  lay  like  a  great  grey  bean  within. 
He  had  taken  screws  out  and  put  them  in 
again;  he  had  unfastened  von  Heumann's 
ventilator  and  had  left  it  fast  as  he  had 
found  it — fast  as  he  instantly  proceeded  to 
make  his  ovv'n.  As  for  von  Heumann,  it 
had  been  enough  to  place  the  drenched  wad 
first  on  his  moustache,  and  then  to  hold  it 
between  his  gaping  lips;  thereafter  the  in- 
truder had  climbed  both  ways  across  his 
shins  without  eliciting  a  groan. 

And  here  was  the  prize — this  pearl  as  large 
as  a  filbert — with  a  pale  pink  tinge  like  a 
lady's  finger-nail — this  spoil  of  a  filibuster- 
ing age — this  gift  from  a  European  era- 
272 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

peror  to  a  South  Sea  chief.  We  gloated 
over  it  when  all  was  snug.  We  toasted  it 
in  whisky  and  soda-water  laid  in  overnight 
in  "view  of  the  great  moment.  But  the  mo- 
ment was  greater,  more  triumphant,  than 
our  most  sanguine  dreams.  All  we  had 
now  to  do  was  to  secrete  the  gem  (which 
Raffles  had  prised  from  its  setting,  replacing 
the  latter),  so  that  we  could  stand  the  strict- 
est search  and  yet  take  it  ashore  with  us  at 
Naples;  and  this  Raffles  was  doing  when  I 
turned  in.  I  myself  would  have  landed  in- 
continently, that  night,  at  Genoa  and  bolted 
with  the  spoil;  he  would  not  hear  of  it,  for  a 
dozen  good  reasons  which  will  be  obvious. 
On  the  whole  I  do  not  think  that  any- 
thing was  discovered  or  suspected  before 
we  weighed  anchor;  but  I  cannot  be  sure. 
It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  a  man  could 
be  chloroformed  in  his  sleep  and  feel  no 
tell-tale  effects,  snifif  no  suspicious  odour, 
in  the  morning.  Nevertheless,  von  Heu- 
mann  reappeared  as  though  nothing  had 
happened  to  him,  his  German  cap  over  his 
eyes  and  his  moustaches  brushing  the  peak. 
And  by  ten  o'clock  we  were  quit  of  Genoa; 
273 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

the  last  lean,  blue-chinned  official  had  left 
our  decks;  the  last  fruitseller  had  been 
beaten  ofif  with  bucketsful  of  water  and  left 
cursing  us  from  his  boat;  the  last  passenger 
had  come  aboard  at  the  last  moment — a  fussy 
greybeard  who  kept  the  big  ship  waiting 
while  he  haggled  with  his  boatman  over 
half  a  lira.  But  at  length  we  were  off,  the 
tug  was  shed,  the  lighthouse  passed,  and 
Raffles  and  I  leaned  together  over  the  rail, 
watching  our  shadows  on  the  pale  green, 
liquid,  veined  marble  that  again  washed  the 
vessel's  side. 

Von  Heumann  was  having  his  innings 
once  more;  it  was  part  of  the  design  that 
he  should  remain  in  all  day,  and  so  post- 
pone the  inevitable  hour;  and,  though  the 
lady  looked  bored,  and  was  for  ever  glanc- 
ing in  our  direction,  he  seemed  only  too 
willing  to  avail  himself  of  his  opportunities. 
But  Raffles  was  moody  and  ill-at-ease.  He 
had  not  the  air  of  a  successful  man.  I  could 
but  opine  that  the  impending  parting  at 
Naples  sat  heavily  on  his  spirit. 

He  would  neither  talk  to  me,  nor  would 
he  let  me  go. 

274 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"  Stop  where  you  are,  Bunny.  I've  things 
to  tell  you.    Can  you  swim?  " 

"  A  bit." 

''Ten  miles?" 

"Ten?"  I  burst  out  laughing.  "Not 
one!    Why  do  you  ask?" 

"  We  shall  be  within  a  ten  miles'  swim 
of  the  shore  most  of  the  day." 

"  What  on  earth  are  you  driving  at,  Raf- 
fles?" 

"  Nothing;  only  I  shall  swim  for  it  if  the 
worst  comes  to  the  worst.  I  suppose  you 
can't  swim  under  water  at  all?  " 

I  did  not  answer  his  question.  I  scarcely 
heard  it:  cold  beads  were  bursting  through 
my  skin. 

"  Why  should  the  worst  come  to  the 
worst?"  I  whispered.  "We  aren't  found 
out,  are  we? " 

"  No." 

"  Then  why  speak  as  though  we  were  ?  " 

"  We  may  be;  an  old  enemy  of  ours  is  on 
board." 

"  An  old  enemy?  " 

"  Mackenzie." 

"Never!" 

275 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

"  The  man  with  the  beard  who  came 
aboard  last." 

"  Are  you  sure?  " 

"  Sure !  I  was  only  sorry  to  see  you 
didn't  recognise  him  too." 

I  took  my  handkerchief  to  my  face;  now 
that  I  thought  of  it,  there  had  been  some- 
thing familiar  in  the  old  man's  gait,  as  well 
as  something  rather  youthful  for  his  appar- 
ent years;  his  very  beard  seemed  unconvinc- 
ing, now  that  T  recalled  it  in  the  light  of  this 
horrible  revelation.  I  looked  up  and  down 
the  deck,  but  the  old  man  was  nowhere  to 
be  seen. 

"That's  the  worst  of  it,"  said  Raffles. 
"  I  saw  him  go  into  the  captain's  cabin 
twenty  minutes  ago." 

"But  what  can  have  brought  him?"  I 
cried  miserably.  "  Can  it  be  a  coincidence 
— is  it  somebody  else  he's  after?  " 

Raffles  shook  his  head. 

"  Hardly  this  time." 

"  Then  you  think  he's  after  you?  " 

"  I've  been  afraid  of  it  for  some  weeks.*'' 

"  Yet  there  you  stand!  " 

"What  am  I  to  do ^  I  don't  want  to 
276 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

swim  for  it  before  I  must.  I  begin  to  wish 
I'd  taken  your  advice,  Bunny,  and  left  the 
ship  at  Genoa.  But  I've  not  the  smallest 
dottbt  that  Mac  w^as  watching  both  ship 
and  station  till  the  last  moment.  That's  why 
he  ran  it  so  fine." 

He  took  a  cigarette  and  handed  me 
the  case,  but  I  shook  my  head  impatient- 
ly- 

"  I  still  don't  understand,"  said  I.  "  Why 
should  he  be  after  you?  He  couldn't  come 
all  this  way  about  a  jewel  which  was  per- 
fectly safe  for  all  he  knew^  What's  your 
own  theory?  " 

"  Simply  that  he's  been  on  my  track  for 
some  time,  probably  ever  since  friend  Craw- 
shay  slipped  clean  through  his  fingers  last 
November.  There  have  been  other  indica- 
tions. I  am  really  not  unprepared  for  this. 
But  it  can  only  be  pure  suspicion.  I'll  defy 
him  to  bring  anything  home,  and  I'll  defy 
him  to  find  the  pearl!  Theory,  my  dear 
Bunny?  I  know  how  he's  got  here  as  well 
as  though  I'd  been  inside  that  Scotchman's 
skin,  and  I  know  what  he'll  do  next.  He 
found  out  I'd  gone  abroad,  and  looked  for 
277 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

a  motive;  he  found  out  about  von  Heumann 
and  his  mission,  and  there  was  his  motive 
cut-and-dried.  Great  chance — to  nab  me 
on  a  new  job  altogether.  But  he  won't  do 
it,  Bunny;  mark  my  words,  he'll  search  the 
ship  and  search  us  all,  when  the  loss  is 
known;  but  he'll  search  in  vain.  And  there's 
the  skipper  beckoning  the  whipper-snapper 
to  his  cabin:  the  fat  will  be  in  the  fire  in 
live  minutes!  " 

Yet  there  was  no  conflagration,  no  fuss, 
no  searching  of  the  passengers,  no  whisper 
of  what  had  happened  in  the  air;  instead 
of  a  stir  there  was  portentous  peace;  and 
it  was  clear  to  me  that  Raffles  was  not  a 
little  disturbed  at  the  falsification  of  all  his 
predictions.  There  was  something  sinister 
in  silence  under  such  a  loss,  and  the  silence 
was  sustained  for  hours  during  which  Mac- 
kenzie never  reappeared.  But  he  was 
abroad  during  the  luncheon-hour — he  was 
in  our  cabin!  I  had  left  my  book  in  Raf- 
fles's  berth,  and  in  taking  it  after  lunch  I 
touched  the  quilt.  It  was  warm  from  the 
recent  pressure  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  on 
an  instinct  I  sprang  to  the  ventilator;  as  I 
278 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

opened  it  the  ventilator  opposite  was  closed 
with  a  snap. 

I  waylaid  Raffles.  "All  right!  Let  him 
find  the  pearl." 

"  Have  you  dumped  it  overboard?  " 

"  That's  a  question  I  sha'n't  condescend 
to  answer." 

He  turned  on  his  heel,  and  at  subsequent 
intervals  I  saw  him  making  the  most  of  his 
last  afternoon  with  the  inevitable  Miss  Wer- 
ner. I  remember  that  she  looked  both  cool 
and  smart  in  quite  a  simple  affair  of  brown 
holland,  which  toned  well  with  her  com- 
plexion, and  was  cleverly  relieved  with 
touches  of  scarlet.  I  quite  admired  her  that 
afternoon,  for  her  eyes  were  really  very 
good,  and  so  were  her  teeth,  yet  I  had  never 
admired  her  more  directly  in  my  own  de- 
spite. For  I  passed  them  again  and  again 
in  order  to  get  a  word  with  Raffles,  to  tell 
him  I  knew  there  was  danger  in  the  wind; 
but  he  would  not  so  much  as  catch  my  eye. 
So  at  last  I  gave  it  up.  And  I  saw  him 
next  in  the  captain's  cabin. 

They  had  summoned  him  first;  he  had 
gone  in  smiling;  and  smiling  I  found  him 
279 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

when  they  summoned  me.  The  state-room 
was  spacious,  as  befitted  that  of  a  com- 
mander. Mackenzie  sat  on  the  settee,  his 
beard  in  front  of  him  on  the  pohshed  table; 
but  a  revolver  lay  in  front  of  the  captain; 
and,  when  I  had  entered,  the  chief  ofheer, 
who  had  summoned  me,  shut  the  door  and 
put  his  back  to  it.  Von  Heumann  coei- 
pleted  the  party,  his  fingers  busy  with  his 
moustache. 

Raffles  greeted  me. 

"  This  is  a  great  joke!  "  he  cried.  "  You 
remember  the  pearl  you  were  so  keen  about, 
Bunny,  the  emperor's  pearl,  the  pearl  money 
wouldn't  buy?  It  seems  it  was  entrusted  to 
our  little  friend  here,  to  take  out  to  Canoodle 
Dum,  and  the  poor  little  chap's  gone  and 
lost  it;  ergo,  as  we're  Britishers,  they  think 
we've  got  it! " 

"  But  I  know  ye  have,"  put  in  Mackenzie, 
nodding  to  his  beard. 

"  You  will  recognise  that  loyal  and  pa- 
triotic voice,"  said  Raflfles.  "  Mon,  'tis  our 
auld  acquaintance  Mackenzie,  o'  Scoteland 
Yarrd  an'  Scoteland  itsel' !  " 

"  Dat    is    enough,"    cried    the    captain. 
2  So 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperoi 

"  Have  you  submid  to  be  searge,  or  do  I' 
vorce  you?  " 

"What  you  will,"  said  Raffles,  "but  it 
witl  do  you  no  harm  to  give  us  fair  play 
first.  You  accuse  us  of  breaking  into  Cap- 
tain von  Heumann's  state-room  during  the 
small  hours  of  this  morning,  and  abstract- 
in»-  from  it  this  confounded  pearl.  Well,  I 
can  prove  that  I  was  in  my  own  room  all 
night  long,  and  I  have  no  doubt  my  friend 
can  prove  the  same." 

'•'  Most  certainly  I  can,"  said  I  indignant- 
ly. "  The  ship's  boys  can  bear  witness  to 
that." 

Mackenzie  laughed,  and  shook  his  head 
at  his  reflection  in  the  polished  mahogany. 
"  That  was  ver  clever,"  said  he,  "  and 
like  enough  it  would  ha'  served  ye  had  I  not 
stepped  aboard.  But  I've  just  had  a  look 
at  they  ventilators,  and  I  think  I  know  how 
ye  worrked  it.  Anyway,  captain,  it  makes 
no  matter.    I'll  just  be  clappin'  the  darbies 

on  these  young  sparks,  an'  then " 

"By  what  right?"  roared  Raffles,  In  a 
ringing  voice,  and  I  never  saw  his  face  in 
such  a  blaze.    "  Search  us  if  you  like;  search 
281 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

every  scrap  and  stitch  we  possess;  but  you 
dare  to  lay  a  finger  on  us  without  a  war- 
rant!" 

"  I  wouldna'  dare,"  said  Mackenzie 
gravely,  as  he  fumbled  in  his  breast  pocket, 
and  Raffles  dived  his  hand  into  his  own. 
"  Haud  his  wrist!  "  shouted  the  Scotchman; 
and  the  huge  Colt  that  had  been  with  us 
many  a  night,  but  had  never  been  fired  in 
my  hearing,  clattered  on  the  table  and  was 
raked  in  by  the  captain. 

"All  right,"  said  Raffles  savagely  to  the 
mate.  "  You  can  let  go  now.  I  won't  try 
it  again.  Now,  Mackenzie,  let's  see  your 
warrant!  " 

"Ye'll  no  mishandle  it?" 

"  What  good  would  that  do  me?  Let  me 
see  it,"  said  Raffles,  peremptorily,  and  the 
detective  obeyed.  Raffles  raised  his  eye- 
brows as  he  perused  the  document;  his 
mouth  hardened,  but  suddenly  relaxed; 
and  it  was  with  a  smile  and  a  shrug  that  he 
returned  the  paper. 

"Wull  that  do  for  ye?"  inquired  Mac- 
kenzie. 

"It  may.    I  congratulate  you,  Macken- 

%82 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

zie;  it's  a  strong  hand,  at  any  rate.  Two 
burglaries  and  the  Melrose  necklace, 
Bunny !  "  And  he  turned  to  me  with  a  rue- 
ful smile. 

"  An'  all  easy  to  prove,"  said  the  Scotch- 
man, pocketing  the  warrant.  "  I've  one  o' 
these  for  you,"  he  added,  nodding  to  me, 
"  only  not  such  a  long  one." 

"  To  think,"  said  the  captain  reproach- 
fully, "  that  my  shib  should  be  made  a  den 
of  thiefs!  It  shall  be  a  very  disagreeable 
madder,  I  have  been  obliged  to  pud 
you  both  in  irons  until  we  ged  to  Na- 
ples." 

"  Surely  not!  "  exclaimed  Raffles.  "  Mac- 
kenzie, intercede  with  him;  don't  give  your 
countrymen  away  before  all  hands!  Cap- 
tain, we  can't  escape ;  surely  you  could  hush 
it  up  for  the  night?  Look  here,  here's 
everything  I  have  in  my  pockets;  you  empty 
yours,  too,  Bunny,  and  they  shall  strip  us 
stark  if  they  suspect  we've  weapons  up  our 
sleeves.  All  I  ask  is  that  we  are  allowed  to 
get  out  of  this  without  gyves  upon  our 
wrists ! " 

"  Webbons  you  may  not  have,"  said  the 
283 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

captain;  "  but  wad  about  der  bearl  dat  you 
were  sdealing?  " 

"  You  shall  have  it!  "  cried  Raffles.  "  You 
shall  have  it  this  minute  if  you  guarantee 
no  public  indignity  on  board! " 

"  That  I'll  see  to,"  said  Mackenzie,  "  as 
long  as  you  behave  yourselves.  There  now, 
where  is't  ?  " 

"  On  the  table  under  your  nose." 
My  eyes  fell  with  the  rest,  but  no  pearl 
was  there;  only  the  contents  of  our  pockets 
• — our  watches,  pocket-books,  pencils,  pen- 
knives, cigarette  cases — lay  on  the  shiny 
table  along  with  the  revolvers  already  men- 
tioned. 

"  Ye're  humbuggin'  us,"  said  Mackenzie. 
"  What's  the  use?  " 

"  I'm  doing  nothing  of  the  sort,"  laughed 
Raffles.     "  I'm  testing  you.     Where's  the 
harm?" 
"  It's  here,  joke  apart?  " 
"  On  that  table,  by  all  my  gods." 
Mackenzie  opened  the  cigarette  cases  and 
shook  each    particular    cigarette.     There- 
upon Raffles  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  smoke 
one,  and,  when  his  prayer  was  heard,  ob- 
284 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

served  that  the  pearl  had  been  on  the  table 
much  longer  than  the  cigarettes.  Macken- 
zie promptly  caught  up  the  Colt  and  opened 
the  chamber  in  the  butt. 

"Not  there,  not  there,"  said  Raffles; 
"  but  you're  getting  hot.  Try  the  car- 
tridges." 

Mackenzie  emptied  them  into  his  palm, 
and  shook  each  one  at  his  ear  without  re- 
sult. 

"Oh,  give  them  to  me!" 

And,  in  an  instant,  Raffles  had  found  the 
right  one,  had  bitten  out  the  bullet,  and 
placed  the  emperor's  pearl  with  a  flourish 
in  the  centre  of  the  table. 

"  After  that  you  will  perhaps  show  me 
such  little  consideration  as  is  in  your  power. 
Captain,  I  have  been  a  bit  of  a  villain,  as 
you  see,  and  as  such  I  am  ready  and  willing 
to  lie  in  irons  all  night  if  you  deem  it  requi- 
site for  the  safety  of  the  ship.  All  I  ask 
is  that  you  do  me  one  favour  first." 

"  That  shall  debend  on  wad  der  vafour 
has  been." 

"  Captain,  I've  done  a  worse  thing  aboard 
your  ship  than  any  of  you  know.  I  have 
285 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

become  engaged  to  be  married,  and  I  want 
to  say  goodbye!  " 

I  suppose  we  were  all  equally  amazed; 
but  the  only  one  to  express  his  amazement 
was  von  Heumann,  whose  deep-chested 
German  oath  was  almost  his  first  contribu- 
tion to  the  proceedings.  He  was  not  slow 
to  follow  it,  however,  with  a  vigorous  pro- 
test against  the  proposed  farewell;  but  he 
was  overruled,  and  the  masterful  prisoner 
had  his  way.  He  was  to  have  five  minutes 
with  the  girl,  while  the  captain  and  Mac- 
kenzie stood  within  range  (but  not  earshot), 
with  their  revolvers  behind  their  backs.  As 
we  were  moving  from  the  cabin,  in  a  body, 
he  stopped  and  gripped  my  hand. 

"  So  I've  let  you  in  at  last.  Bunny — at 
last  and  after  all!  If  you  knew  how  sorry 
I  am.  .  .  .  But  you  won't  get  much — 
I  don't  see  why  you  should  get  anything  at 
all.  Can  you  forgive  me?  This  may  be 
for  years,  and  it  may  be  for  ever,  you  know ! 
You  were  a  good  pal  always  when  it  came 
to  the  scratch;  some  day  or  other  you 
mayn't  be  so  sorry  to  remember  you  were 
a  good  pal  at  the  last!  " 
286 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

There  was  a  meaning  in  his  eye  that  I  un- 
derstood; and  my  teeth  were  set,  and  my 
nerves  strung  ready,  as  I  wrung  that  strong 
and  cunning  hand  for  the  last  time  in  my 
hfe. 

How  that  last  scene  stays  with  me,  and 
will  stay  to  my  death !  How  I  see  every  de- 
tail, every  shadow  on  the  sunlit  deck!  We 
were  among  the  islands  that  dot  the  course 
from  Genoa  to  Naples;  that  was  Elba  fall- 
ing back  on  our  starboard  quarter,  that 
purple  patch  with  the  hot  sun  setting  over 
it.  The  captain's  cabin  opened  to  starboard, 
and  the  starboard  promenade  deck,  sheeted 
with  sunshine  and  scored  with  shadow,  was 
deserted  but  for  the  group  of  which  I  was 
one,  and  for  the  pale,  slim,  brown  figure 
further  aft  with  Raffles.  Engaged?  I  could 
not  believe  it,  cannot  to  this  day.  Yet  there 
they  stood  together,  and  we  did  not  hear 
a  word;  there  they  stood  out  against  the 
sunset,  and  the  long,  dazzling  highway  of 
sunlit  sea  that  sparkled  from  Elba  to  the 
Uhlan's  plates;  and  their  shadows  reached 
almost  to  our  feet. 

Suddenly — an  instant — and  the  thing  was 
287 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

done — a  thing  1  have  never  known  whether 
to  admire  or  to  detest.  He  caught  her — he 
kissed  her  before  us  all — then  flung  her 
from  him  so  that  she  almost  fell.  It  was 
that  action  which  foretold  the  next.  The 
mate  sprang  after  him,  and  I  sprang  after 
the  mate. 

Raffles  was  on  the  rail,  but  only  just, 
"  Hold  him,  Bunny!  "  he  cried.     "  Hold 
him  tight!  " 

And,  as  I  obeyed  that  last  behest  with  all 
my  might,  without  a  thought  of  what  I  was 
doing,  save  that  he  bade  me  do  it,  I  saw 
his  hands  shoot  up  and  his  head  bob  down, 
and  his  lithe,  spare  body  cut  the  sunset  as 
cleanly  and  precisely  as  though  he  had 
plunged  at  his  leisure  from  a  diver's  board! 


Of  what  followed  on  deck  I  can  tell  you 
nothing,  for  I  was  not  there.  Nor  can  my 
final  punishment,  my  long  imprisonment, 
my  ever-lasting  disgrace,  concern  or  profit 
you,  beyond  the  interest  and  advantage  to 
be  gleaned  from  the  knowledge  that  I  at 
least  had  my  deserts.  But  one  thing  I  must 
2S8 


The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

set  down,  believe  it  who  will — one  more 
thing  only  and  I  am  done. 

It  was  into  a  second-class  cabin,  on  the 
starboard  side,  that  I  was  promptly  thrust 
in  irons,  and  the  door  locked  upon  me  as 
though  I  were  another  Raffles.  Meanwhile 
a  boat  was  lowered,  and  the  sea  scoured  to 
no  purpose,  as  is  doubtless  on  record  else- 
where. But  either  the  setting  sun,  flashing 
over  the  waves,  must  have  blinded  all  eyes, 
or  else  mine  were  victims  of  a  strange  illu- 
sion. 

For  the  boat  was  back,  the  screw  throb- 
bing, and  the  prisoner  peering  through  his 
porthole  across  the  sunlit  waters  that  he  be- 
lieved had  closed  for  ever  over  his  comrade's 
head.  Suddenly  the  sun  sank  behind  the 
Island  of  Elba,  the  lane  of  dancing  sunlight 
was  instantaneously  quenched  and  swal- 
lowed in  the  trackless  waste,  and  in  the 
middle  distance,  already  miles  astern,  either 
my  sight  deceived  me  or  a  black  speck 
bobbed  amid  the  grey.  The  bugle  had 
blown  for  dinner:  it  may  well  be  that  all 
save  myself  had  ceased  to  strain  an  eye. 
And  now  I  lost  what  I  had  found,  now  it 
280 


The  Amateur  Cracksman 

rose,  now  sank,  and  now  I  gave  it  up  utterly. 
Yet  anon  it  would  rise  again,  a  mere  mote 
dancing  in  the  dim  grey  distance,  drifting 
towards  a  purple  island,  beneath  a  fading 
western  sky,  streaked  with  dead  gold  and 
cerise.  And  night  fell  before  I  knew 
whether  it  was  a  human  head  or  not. 

■    '->  ^.  te  ti  c-r. 

:^-^(  T^E  End, 


OTHER  BOOKS  BY  MR.  HORNUNG 


The 
Amateur  Cracksman 

30th  Thousand.      12 mo,  $1.2^.      The  titles  of 
the  stories  are  : 

i.  The  Ides  of  March  V.  Wilful  Murder 

II.  A  Costume  Piece  VI.  Nine  Points  of  the  Law 

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IV,  Le  Premier  Pas  VIII.  The  Gift  of  the  Emperor 

"  For  sheer  excitement  and  inventive  genius 
the  burglarian  exploits  of '  The  Amateur  Cracks- 
man '  carry  off  the  palm.  Raffles  is  as  distinct 
and  convincing  a  creation  as  Sherlock 
Holmes." — The  Bookman. 

"  Raffles  is  amazing  ;  his  resource  is  perfect ; 
he  talks  like  a  gentleman  and  acts  like  one, 
except  when  occupied  with  pressing  business  in 
another  man's  house,  at  midnight,  and  naturally 
he  has  a  '  cool  nerve,'  a  nerve  positively  arctic. 
They  all  have  nerves  like  that,  these  Raffleses. ' ' 
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'*  Once  more,  he  gives  us  a  book  decidedly 
entertaining  to  read." 

— New  York  Tribune. 

"  More  life  and  go  than  in  most  recent  fiction 
and  it  is  told  so  well  that  it  has  not  a  single  dull 
page." 

— San  Francisco  Chronicle. 


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Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York 


OTHER  BOOKS  BY  MR.  HORNUNG 


RAFFLES 

More  Adventures  of  the  Amateur  Cracksman 

With  tix  full-page  illustrations,  by  F.  C.  YOHN, 

draiun  in  a  humor  in  exact  harmony  tuitb 

Mr.  Hornung's  conceptions. 

"D  AFFLES,  the  clever,  the  resourceful,  the 
"*■  big-hearted,  here  appears  again  in  a  new 
series  of  experiences  and  adventures  that  not 
only  prove  as  absorbing  as  those  in  The  Ama- 
teur Cracksman^  but  exhibit  his  character  in  its 
larger  and  later  devel- 
opments and  bring  his 
interesting  career  to  a 
heroic  conclusion. 

The  exploits  detailed 
in  this  book  illustrate 
the  author's  ability  to 
satisfactorily  follow  a 
character  of  power  and 
ideals  such  as  Raffles 
possessed,  through  the 
intricacies  of  an  environment  so  unnatural  to 
it,  to  a  consistent  and  satisfying  climax. 

The  final  story,  disclosing  the  conclusion 
of  Raffles's  career,  has  not  appeared  serially 
and  is  here  first  published. 


CONTENTS 

No  Sinecure 
A  Jubilee  Present 
The  Fate  of  Faustina 
The  Last  Laugh 
To  Catch  a  Thief 
An  Old  Flame 
The  Wrong  House 
The  Knees  or  the  Gods 


Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  New  York 


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University  of  California 

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